Brazil on Tuesday said it registered 819 deaths from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 147,494.

According to the Ministry of Health, tests detected 41,906 new cases of infection in the same period, bringing the total caseload since the onset of the outbreak to 4,969,141.

The state of Sao Paulo, the epicenter of the nation's epidemic, is in the process of reopening schools in several cities, such as the capital city of Sao Paulo, after they were suspended in March.

However, limits have been set on class occupancy at 20 percent along with other social distancing rules.

Sao Paulo has reported 1,010,839 cases of infection and 36,490 deaths, while neighboring Rio de Janeiro has recorded 18,883 deaths and 275,415 cases.

Brazil has the world's second-highest death toll, after the United States, and the third-largest outbreak.