gasworld understands the situation remains grave in the Brazilian city. Mid-January saw widespread reports that hospitals in Manaus had reached ‘breaking point’ in their treatment of growing numbers of Covid-19 patients, as oxygen shortages took hold in the region. The city, with a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, in Amazonas state and around 3,900km north of the city of Sao Paulo, was understood to be experiencing a surge in both infections and fatalities – and at the mercy of dwindling oxygen supply. In the days and weeks since, various accounts have painted a picture similar to that of Peru in June last year, with concerned locals pictured queuing up at a local oxygen cylinder filling site and taking supply into their own hands.