10/07/2020

Cases in Latin America and the Caribbean have passed three million, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. 

The region is the current epicenter of the global pandemic, with  2.9 million infected patients, as well as fatal COVID-19 cases in excess of 140,000. Nearly half of the cases are in Brazil, the hardest hit country in the world after the United States. As of July 7 2020, Brazil has reported more than 1.6 million cases. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro, testing positive for the coronavirus shows that everyone should understand the risk of COVID-19. 

"Nobody is special. We are all potentially exposed, and we are all equally vulnerable," said the WHO's director of health emergencies, Mike Ryan.  

“Little flu," "hysteria" and "over-dimensioning its destructive power"  were the words Bolsonaro used to describe the impact of the coronavirus, downplaying its risks. He has attended public events without wearing a mask and has been in close contact with his supporters. 

"I confess that I thought I had contracted it a few months ago," but "I did not expect this to happen to me," said Bolsonaro, who has cancelled his schedule for the upcoming days.

The Latin American country that has been affected the most by the COVID-19 coronavirus disease after Brazil is Peru, with 305,703 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Bolivia reported more than 40,000 COVID-19 cases. Colombia’s lockdown will continue until August. 1. The country has reported more than 120,000 cases.