US shuts door on Brazil due to pandemic

Travel restrictions seen as setback, as country becomes No 2 hot spot

BRASILIA, in Brazil — The United States suspended travel from Brazil over an explosion of coronavirus infections in the South American nation that has now become the world’s No 2 virus hot spot with more than 360,000 infections.

Brazil’s Health Ministry raised its tally of confirmed cases by 15,813 on Sunday to 363,211, with the death toll at 22,666.

The travel ban was a setback to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who has followed the example of US President Donald Trump in addressing the pandemic, fighting calls for social distancing and touting unproven drugs.

The restrictions will come into force on Thursday, said the US embassy in Brasilia, prohibiting most non-US citizens from traveling to the US if they have been in Brazil in the past two weeks. Green-card holders, close relatives of US citizens and flight crew members, among select others, would be exempted.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the new restrictions would help ensure foreign nationals do not bring additional infections to the country, but would not apply to the flow of commerce between the two countries.

Brazil’s foreign ministry called it a technical decision in the context of “important bilateral collaboration” to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brazil had itself already barred foreigners from entering the country because of the pandemic.

Elsewhere in South America, Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires on Sunday said it was stepping up social distancing measures in the lead-up to an expected spike in cases of the novel coronavirus.

The city announced it would further restrict commercial activity and people’s mobility, including by closing certain train stations.

“We took the decisions based on the data and the evidence, which today show that the peak of infection is arriving,” Mayor Horacio Rodriguez Larreta said.

Local cases of infection have been steadily rising in the past two weeks, and city officials are concerned that population density in the capital and its metropolitan area will fuel a larger outbreak.

Officials closed 11 train stations, stepped up control at 36 entrances to the city, and intensified inspections of public transit, which is currently used exclusively by those considered to be essential workers.

Residents must renew permits, which have now expired, that allow them to circulate. Nonessential businesses at major shopping centers will remain closed to avoid mass gatherings.

Argentina, which announced a general lockdown on March 20 that continues through June 7, had reported 11,353 cases on Sunday.

‘Very close to the limit’

In Chile, the healthcare system is under strain and “very close to the limit”, President Sebastian Pinera said on Sunday, as the number of confirmed infections approaches 70,000 after a rapid increase in recent days.

The ministry of health reported 3,709 new cases over the past day, bringing the total to 69,102. The death toll is 718.

Ecuador on Sunday said it had 36,756 confirmed cases of infection, with 3,108 people dying of COVID-19 since the start of the outbreak in the South American country.

All of Ecuador’s 24 provinces have seen an outbreak, though to different degrees, including Galapagos, home to the world-famous Galapagos Islands. In recent days, parts of the country have begun to cautiously emerge from a March 17 lockdown to resume some economic activity.