Brasilia, Dec 26 (IANS): Brazil's coronavirus death toll has increased to 190,488 after 482 more patients died due to the disease in the last 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health.

Besides the new fatalities, the country on Friday also detected 22,967 new cases, raising the nationwide infection tally to 7,448,560, Xinhua news agency reported.

Currently, the South American nation accounts for the world's second highest Covid-19 death toll, second only to the US, and the third largest caseload, after the US and India

Brazil has a Covid-19 mortality rate of 91 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, and its case rate stands at 3,544 per 100,000 inhabitants.

Meanwhile, 13 of Brazil's 27 states are witnessing recent resurgences.

In Rio de Janeiro, the country's main tourism destination, authorities have cancelled a traditional New Year's Eve celebration at the Copacabana Beach, which usually attracts millions of visitors each year.