An alternative source of information on vital statistics that has gained attention during the pandemic is the Civil Registry Transparency Portal. This paper discusses the role of alternative sources of mortality information in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. Data is made available monthly by municipal and state health departments, with only information for 2018 available. Given this context, what alternative sources of mortality information and death data classified by infection (SARS-CoV-2) can fill the time gap left by official sources of mortality information? This detailed report covers the development of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics systems in Brazil and responds to challenges of data collection.