Virus fears rise in South America
Experts worried about countries reopening amid spike in COVID-19 cases
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND— South American countries at the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic are choosing to reopen even as case numbers rise, ignoring the example set by Europe in which countries waited for the worst to pass.
Meanwhile in the U.S., there are concerns that widespread protests over the death of George Floyd could cause new outbreaks in a country where the virus has disproportionately affected racial minorities.
And a new estimate by the U.S. Congressional Budget Office cautioned the damage to the world’s largest economy could amount to nearly $16 trillion (U.S.) over the next decade if Congress doesn’t work to mitigate the fallout.
Experts are concerned about what’s happening in South America.
“Clearly, the situation in many South American countries is far from stable. There is a rapid increase in cases, and those systems are coming under increasing pressure,” said Mike Ryan, the executive director of the World Health Organization’s emergencies program.
His warning came as some of Brazil’s hardest-hit cities, including the jungle metropolis Manaus and coastal Rio de Janeiro, were starting to allow more activity. Brazil has reported more than 526,000 cases of the virus, second only to the 1.8 million reported by the U.S.
Elsewhere in the region, Bolivia’s government has authorized reopening most of the country, while Venezuela has unwound restrictions. Ecuador’s airports are resuming flights and shoppers are returning to some of Colombia’s malls.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador kicked off Mexico’s return to a “new normal” Monday with his first road trip in two months as the country began to gradually ease some of its virus restrictions.
Lopez Obrador said he’s taking all necessary precautions — he drove the 1,600 kilometres from Mexico City over the weekend rather than flying — on a trip to promote construction of the Mayan Train, one of his signature infrastructure projects.
In South Korea, new cases ticked up on Tuesday. Areas around Seoul moved to curb large gatherings and officials urged churchgoers and some health-care workers to avoid crowds.
Meanwhile, Italy’s Lombardy region has continued to register by far the highest day-to-day increase in coronavirus cases after emerging as the epicentre of the country’s outbreak in February. The Health Ministry reported Tuesday evening that Lombardy accounted for 187 of Italy’s 318 new confirmed cases in the previous 24 hours. Total confirmed cases now number 233,515, although authorities say many people with mild symptoms may have had the virus but never underwent testing.
Italy also reported 55 more virus-related deaths in the same 24-hour period, raising the national death toll from the pandemic to 33,530.
In Japan, the governor of Tokyo issued a coronavirus alert for the capital amid worries of a resurgence of infections only a week after a state of emergency ended. Gov. Yuriko Koike issued a “Tokyo alert” on Tuesday after 34 new cases were confirmed in the city, where confirmed infections had slowed to a few per day in late May.
Dubai, meanwhile, announced that shopping malls and the private sector can operate at full capacity starting Wednesday following weeks of restrictions and curfews.
Still, people must adhere to social distancing and wear face masks in public. Some of Dubai’s largest malls have already installed thermal scanners at gates to check the temperatures of all entering.
South Africa’s lockdown regulations have been declared invalid by a court following a legal challenge by a civic organization on the basis that they are unconstitutional.
The High Court of Gauteng Province on Tuesday gave the government 14 days to amend and republish the regulations in a way so they do not infringe on people’s rights.