BUENOS AIRES 

The novel coronavirus has claimed a total of 614 lives in Brazil, 342 in Mexico, over the past 24 hours, according to health authorities on Tuesday.

As the second worst-hit country by the virus, Brazil's Health Ministry data showed the death toll reached 87,618 with the latest fatalities, while the number of cases was over 2.44 million with 23,284 additions over the past 24 hours.

With a population of around 46 million, the state of Sao Paulo was the worst-hit region in the country. The number of cases stood at 487,654, while the death toll was 21,676 in the country's commercial hub.

The number of recoveries exceeded 1.66 million in the country.

With a population of over 211 million, Brazil is viewed as the epicenter of the outbreak in Latin America.

Mexico

The death toll hit 44,022 in Mexico with 342 additions in the past day, according to its Health Ministry.

The number of cases also reached 395,489, as 4,973 more people tested positive for COVID-19. A total of 256,777 people have recovered from the disease.

The first coronavirus case in Mexico was recorded on Feb. 28 and the first fatality on March 19.

Since first appearing in China last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions. The US, Brazil, India, and Russia are currently the countries hardest hit in the world.

The pandemic has killed over 654,100 people worldwide, with nearly 16.5 million confirmed cases, according to figures compiled by the US' Johns Hopkins University. Over 9.57 million have recovered from the disease.