RIO DE JANEIRO, April 29 (Reuters) - The number of confirmed cases of new coronavirus in Brazil soared by a record number on Wednesday to 78,162 from 71,886 the day before, with 449 deaths in the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry said.

The death toll now stands at 5,466 deaths in the country, which on Tuesday joined eight other nations with more dead from the pandemic that China. (Reporting by Pedro Fonseca; Editing by Sandra Maler)