Brasilia, Dec 18 (IANS): Brazil registered 69,826 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking its national infection tally to 7,110,434, the Health Ministry said.

Besides the new cases on Thursday, the Ministry also registered an additional 1,092 fatalities that raised the death toll to 184,827.

With the new tallies, Brazil currently accounts for the world's third highest caseload after the US and India, and also the second largest death toll just after the US.

The sstate of Sao Paulo, the country's Covid-19 epicentre, has decided to start the 2021 school year in February with mandatory face-to-face classes and social-distancing regulations.

Also, the Rio de Janeiro State Court ordered closure of Buzios, a tourist resort, and asked all visiters to leave the site and return home in 72 hours, so that hotels and restaurants could be closed.

Meanwhile in the capital Brasilia, the Federal Supreme Court voted unanimously to make Covid-19 vaccination mandatory and authorise public and private entities to demand proof of immunization for entry into certain places or regions.