Under-fire Nicaragua reports significant rise in Covid-19 cases

MANAGUA: Nicaragua, criticised by its Central American neighbors for doing little to halt the spread of the coronavirus, on Tuesday reported a significant rise in Covid-19 deaths and infections.

The health ministry reported 480 new infections and 18 deaths in the week since May 19.

The previous week it reported 279 new cases.

The Washington-based Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) on Tuesday projected a “sharp increase” in the number of infections in Nicaragua and complained of a lack of official data on the virus’ spread in the country.

The Secretary General of Nicaragua’s health ministry, Carlos Saenz, said Nicaragua now has a total of 759 infections with 35 deaths.

A prominent Nicaraguan NGO, Citizen Observatory, said the government is hiding the real extent of the crisis.

The true number of cases as of May 20 was 2,300 – with more than 400 deaths – and hospitals are being overwhelmed, the NGO says. —