Latin America COVID-19 cases top 100K, deaths at 5,000

BOGOTA, Colombia

Latin America begins the week with more than 104,000 coronavirus cases, while the number of deaths surpassed the 5,000 mark on Monday.

Brazil, with a population of 210 million, reports the highest number of cases and fatalities with 39,144 infections and 2,484 deaths, although experts estimate there may be a higher number of cases due to the lack of testing in the country. Peru reports 15,682 cases and 400 fatalities, Chile reports 10,507 and 139 deaths and Mexico reports 8,261 cases and 686 fatalities.

All figures shared below are compiled according to data from the U.S.- based Johns Hopkins University as of Monday.

Brazil

Despite the health threat, President Jair Bolsonaro participated this Sunday in a rally that took place in Brasilia aimed at attacking the confinement measures designed to control the coronavirus spread. Before some 600 people who gathered in front of the army headquarters asking for a military intervention and the closing of Congress, Bolsonaro said he will not negotiate his terms.

"Everyone in Brazil has to understand that they are subject to the will of the Brazilian people,” he told his supporters while he stood in a van, where he was seen coughing several times during his speech. "Count on your president to do everything so that we can maintain democracy and guarantee that which is most sacred to us, which is our freedom," he incited the demonstrators.

However, less than 24 hours after participating in the rally, Bolsonaro backtracked on Monday saying he defends Brazil's democratic institutions.

“We are a democracy, we respect the Brazilian Constitution,” he told a supporter who asked him to close the Supreme Court. “The Supreme Court is open and transparent; Congress is open and transparent,” he said.

Brazil has more cases of the coronavirus than any other country in Latin America. On Monday, confirmed infections increased to 39,144 with 686 deaths.

Ecuador

The South American nation has so far recorded a total of 9,468 cases of coronavirus, including 474 deaths. The most affected province is Guayas and its capital Guayaquil with 6,446 reported cases and 208 deaths.

The Guayas School of Doctors published on Sunday a list with the names of the 86 doctors who have died in the region due to their exposure to coronavirus.

The number of deaths in Ecuador would rise to almost 1,291 if the number of patients who died from COVID-19 as a “probable cause” were taken into account.

Venezuela

The president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, raised on Saturday the possibility of postponing parliamentary elections scheduled for 2020 in the country.

Maduro said that although the election of the National Assembly is mandated by the Constitution, he does not know if there will be elections this year because it would be “irresponsible” for him to say that and insisted his priority is to deal with the pandemic not to hold elections.

Venezuela has reported 9 deaths and 256 infected cases as of April 20.

Argentina

Since the beginning of the pandemic in Argentina, some 374 health workers have been infected, about 15% of the total number of people infected in the country.

There are 2,941 cases of patients who tested positive for Covid-19 in Argentina, and 136 deaths. 

Peru

Peru has 15,628 confirmed coronavirus cases and 400 deaths.

Colombia

Colombia has reported 3,792 infections and 179 deaths.

Mexico

U.S. President Donald Trump promised to sell 1,000 ventilators to Mexico as well as other intensive medical equipment after speaking with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Friday. The Mexican leader tweeted that ventilators would arrive by the end of the month.

Hospitals in Mexico are struggling with insufficient supplies to deal with the pandemic, which has yet to reach its peak.

Mexico has registered a total of 8,261 confirmed coronavirus cases and 686 deaths.

Cuba

According to Health Minister Jose Angel Portal Miranda, so far 92 health workers have fallen ill, including doctors, nurses, and technicians, in addition to five medical students and five Cuban collaborators who are on a mission in Venezuela.

With 49 new COVID-19 registered cases, Cuba has 1,035 positive cases and 36 deaths.