Latin America reports more coronavirus cases

By Muhammed Emin Canik

BUENOS AIRES (AA) - Latin American countries reported more cases of the novel coronavirus and deaths related to the disease in the last 24 hours, according to officials on Saturday.

Brazil’s Health Ministry said that 432 more people died due to the virus, raising the death toll 156,903.

The ministry added that a total of 26,979 new cases were reported in the country where the total number of coronavirus cases has exceeded five million.

- Argentina

A total of 275 people died due to the coronavirus in the last 24 hours in Argentina, according to the Health Ministry, raising the death toll to 28,613.

The country reported 11,968 new COVID-19 cases in the past day, bringing the total to over 1 million.

A total of 881,113 people recovered from the virus in the country of 45 million, the ministry added.

Despite a record-long lockdown during the epidemic, Argentina has the seventh-highest number of cases in the world.

On Friday, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez announced that the quarantine, which was put into effect on March 20 and then eased substantially, was extended until Nov. 8 in and around the capital Buenos Aires and its surrounding eight states.

- Mexico

According to the Mexican Health Ministry, 431 people died in the last 24-hour period due to novel coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 88,743.

The country reported 6,025 new COVID-19 cases, as the total number reached 886,800.

Mexico reported that a total of 646,739 people recovered from the virus.

- Colombia

The Health Ministry in Colombia reported 198 more fatalities due to the virus as the death toll reached 30,000.

A total of 8,769 infections were reported in the country as COVID-19 cases reached over 1 million.

Some 907,379 people recovered from the virus, the ministry added.

- Peru

The Peruvian Health Ministry reported 62 more deaths and 1,118 more coronavirus cases in the country over the last 24 hours.

A total of 34,033 people died due to the virus in the country, while 886,214 people were infected.

Over 803,800 people recovered from the COVID-19, the ministry said.

Across the world, COVID-19 has claimed more than 1.15 million lives in 189 countries and regions since last December.

The US, India, and Brazil are currently the worst-hit countries.

Over 42.6 million cases have been reported worldwide, with recoveries exceeding 28.7 million, according to figures compiled by the US' Johns Hopkins University.