RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Within only 24 hours, Brazil has recorded a 65 percent increase in the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus infections, with a total rising from 121 to 200, according to a balance released on Sunday afternoon, March 15th by the Ministry of Health.
On Tuesday, the Ministry announced that the number of confirmed cases as of Monday was 234, but state health authorities claim the number already exceeds 300.
In Brazil, São Paulo and Rio are the states where there is community transmission of the virus – in other words, it now circulates in these regions. There are 152 and 31 cases of the disease, respectively, with no deaths.
State medical authorities are still investigating 2,064 suspected cases of the disease, according to the Ministry’s data. Since January, 1,624 suspected cases have been ruled out.
Throughout the continent, there are at least four reported deaths: one in Ecuador, another in Panama, and two in Argentina, of patients who contracted the disease outside their countries.
A survey based on international agencies found 612 cases in total. The World Health Organization (WHO), which carries out daily updates of the occurrences throughout the world, recorded 445 cases in the region up to Sunday.
Restrictions
The Mercosur member countries would have decided by teleconference on Monday on joint measures. Paraguayan President Mario Abdo said on Sunday at a press conference that the bloc should establish a partial closure of the borders.
However, Argentina announced the closure of its borders on Sunday for 15 days – the entry permits are reserved for Argentineans and foreigners who live in the country.
President Alberto Fernández plans to apply a ten-day quarantine throughout the country. “Everything we can do to restrict public gatherings – going to the theater, going to the movies – will be welcome. We are looking at the option of stopping this at some point so that people will remain at home and thus prevent the virus from spreading,” Fernández said in an interview with Radio 10 in Buenos Aires.
The president said the attempt was to avoid community transmission before the onset of winter.
By the weekend, Colombia had also determined that only Colombians or foreigners living in the country could cross the border, and even then with the requirement of a 14-day quarantine. The measure started yesterday. In Peru and Chile, the seaports have been closed for cruises and there will be medical control on land access. Chile also ordered the closure of schools for two weeks, according to a statement by President Sebastián Piñera.
Paraguay
At the Friendship Bridge, which connects Ciudad del Este and Foz do Iguaçu, Paraguayan military and sanitary agents are equipped with body temperature measuring devices to bar Brazilians who cross the bridge with symptoms of the disease. The neighboring country records nine confirmed cases.
In Venezuela, President Nicolás Maduro announced that six states and the capital, Caracas, would begin “collective social quarantine” as of yesterday. During this period, citizens must remain at home and trade will be closed.
Maduro said in a TV statement that “there is no option” except quarantine. “Either we go into quarantine or the pandemic could brutally and tragically topple the country”.
Spread of cases:
– 75 cases have been reported in Chile. It’s the second most numerous country in the region, behind Brazil.
– 45 records occurred in Argentina, where there are two deaths of patients coming from abroad.
– 24 people are infected with coronavirus in Colombia, which decided to close its borders as of Monday.
– 43 cases are reported in Panama. It is the largest number in Central America, although the country has a population of four million people.
– Uruguay reports six cases.
Source: O Estado de S. Paulo