By Laura Gamba
BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - Latin America topped 80,000 coronavirus cases, fueled by the increase in Brazil, where political tensions between the president and other branches of power continue to grow.
All figures below are according to data released Thursday by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.
-Brazil
As the death toll and cases in Brazil rise, so do quarrels about President Jair Bolsonaro reluctance to acknowledge devastating health effects of the pandemic.
The health ministry said Wednesday that a high-ranking official resigned amid tensions between Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta and Bolsonaro regarding the handling of the crisis.
Congress gave Bolsonaro an ultimatum to release his coronavirus test results within 30 days amid widespread speculation he is infected.
Minister of Science, Technology and Communications Marcos Pontes said Monday, at Bolsonaro request, the government decided to postpone the use of mobile phone data to monitor the displacement of people during the pandemic. It occurred days after Sao Paulo Governor Joao Doria used tracking tools to monitor movements of people and discovered only 50% of the population had adhered to social isolation measures.
The Supreme Federal Court ruled Wednesday that local governments can impose restrictive measures to contain the pandemic in what many see as a defeat for Bolsonaro who sought to centralize local decisions.
Meanwhile, the country began conducting tests in an effort to find a drug to treat coronavirus. A trial with chloroquine, a drug normally used to treat malaria, began with 81 patients in Manaus. About half received a 450 milligrams dose of chloroquine twice a day for five days. The rest were prescribed 600 milligrams for 10 days. After three days, scientists began noticing heart arrhythmias in patients taking the higher dose. On the sixth day 11 died, prompting researchers to end tests April 14.
Brazil continues to lead the region in number of cases and fatalities from the virus. With 29,165 confirmed cases and 1.764 deaths, health workers said the system will not be able to soon cope.
-Uruguay
The final 15 passengers aboard an Australian cruise ship struck by COVID-19 anchored off Uruguay’s coast for almost three weeks, flew Wednesday to the U.S., according to Uruguay’s foreign minister.
The Greg Mortimer had more than 200 passengers aboard when more than 100 infections were detected. A group of Australians and New Zealanders on the ship left Uruguay last weekend on a flight to Melbourne.
Uruguay has 493 confirmed cases and deaths. The first reports of the virus in the South American country with a population of 3.5 million can be traced to a Montevideo fashion designer who attended a 500-guest wedding March 7, hours after arriving from Spain.
Although Chile has the third highest case counts in the region with 8,807, its death toll is low at 105. Ecuador is very different with 7,858 cases but deaths nearing 400.
Given that the death tolls are under 260 in Colombia, Peru and Argentina, those nations announced flexible social isolation measures will be adopted gradually at the end of April and the beginning of May to avoid a virus rebound.
-Mexico
With 5,847 confirmed cases and 449 deaths, Mexico is the Latin American country with the highest mortality rate from COVID-19 at 7.52 deaths for every 100 cases of infection, reports health officials.
-Cuba
According to a press release from the Cuban Embassy in the United Kingdom, more than 50 British MPs have written to UK Foreign Secretary and acting Prime Minister Dominic Raab demanding the U.S. blockade of Cuba be temporarily suspended during the pandemic.
Cuba has 862 cases and 27 people have died.
-Nicaragua
Nicaragua has not updated coronavirus related cases for days, although after an absence of more than a month, President Daniel Ortega said Wednesday the virus was “a sign from God.”
The Central America country reports nine confirmed cases and one death.