Americas hit by new concerns over outbreaks
SOUTH AMERICAN countries at the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic are choosing to reopen even as case numbers rise, while concerns have been raised that protests in America may cause new outbreaks.
New York governor Andrew Cuomo expressed concern that the widespread protests over the death of George Floyd, which have been repeated across the country, could endanger the long, hard fight to contain the pandemic in a worldwide hot spot.
“You turn on the TV and you see these mass gatherings that could potentially be infecting hundreds and hundreds of people after everything that we have done,” Mr Cuomo said. “We have to take a minute and ask ourselves: ‘What are we doing here?’”
A new estimate by the US congressional budget office warned that the damage to the world’s largest economy could amount to nearly $16 trillion (£12.8 trillion).
Experts are concerned about what is happening in South America. Mike Ryan, the executive director of the World Health Organisation’s emergencies programme, said: “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.”
His warning came as some of Brazil’s hardest-hit cities, including the jungle metropolis Manaus and coastal Rio de Janeiro, are 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 US.
Elsewhere, Bolivia’s government has authorised 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.
More than 6.2 million infections have been reported worldwide, with more than 375,000 people dying, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. The true death toll is believed to be significantly higher.