Brasilia, Dec 30 (IANS): Brazil registered 1,111 coronavirus deaths in the last 24 hours, the highest single-day fatalities since October 3, when 1,307 people had died, the Health Ministry said.

Tuesday's figure increased the nationwide death toll to 192,681, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying.

Meanwhile, 58,718 new cases were also detected in the last 24 hours, the highest daily tally since December 17, increasing the nationwide caseload to 7,563,551.

The South American country currently accounts for the third-largest caseload in the world, after the US and India, and the second-highest death toll just behind the US.

The southeast Sao Paulo State, the most populated in the country, is the hardest hit region with 1,440,229 cases and 46,195 deaths, followed by the neighbouring Rio de Janeiro with 426,259 cases and 25,078 deaths.

Amid surging cases in Manaus, capital of northern Amazonas state and one of the epicentres of the pandemic, at least two local hospitals have set up tents outside their facilities to test new patients arriving with symptoms of Covid-19.