Latin America continues to suffer, the Europe opens

Brazil has recorded 1349 died of the coronavirus in 24 hours, a new record for the country most affected in Latin America.

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June 3, 2020 22h28

Updated at 23: 30

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Latin America continues to suffer, the Europe opens

Louis Genot

Agence France-Presse

RIO DE JANEIRO — The Latin America still suffers from the epidemic of coronavirus, Brazil in the lead, which reached a new record of the dead Wednesday, the opposite of Europe where the borders are reopened, as in Austria Thursday, in the midst of controversy on the hydroxychloroquine.

Brazil has recorded 1 349 died of the coronavirus in 24 hours, a new record for this country, the most affected in Latin America. A curfew has also been imposed from Wednesday in a score of towns of the State of Bahia, in the northeast of Brazil, in an attempt to contain the rapid growth in air of the pandemic of sars coronavirus.

“If we do not act, we risk seeing an explosion of demand for beds in intensive care, and we will not address it,” said the governor of the State of Bahia, Rui Costa.

Brazil, the new epicentre of the pandemic COVID-19, now 32 548 dead and nothing seems able to stop the progression of the novel coronavirus in the country.

The figures, that the scientific community considers grossly under-valued, are the Latin american giant in the fourth place in the world for the dead, behind the United States – which remain by far the country most hard hit with 107 000 deaths in – the United Kingdom (39 728), and Italy (33 530).

Brazil, whose president Jair Bolsonaro is regularly referred to the lifting of restrictions to preserve the economy and employment, represents more than half of the cases of contamination and death of the COVID-19 in Latin America.

Brazil has become the new epicentre of the pandemic COVID-19.

AFP, Evaristo Sa

Mexico: 1000 dead per day

Mexico, for its part, passed, Wednesday, the bar of the 1,000 dead in 24 hours, for the first time since the beginning of the epidemic. The balance sheet total exceeds 11 000 deaths.

In total, the pandemic COVID-19 has killed more than 382 000 people on the planet since its debut in December in China, according to a report drawn up Wednesday byAFP from official sources.

In Chile, other south American countries hard hit by the epidemic, the authorities decided to extend for a fourth week confinement to Santiago. On the other hand, Ecuador will soften the cuts taken to Quito to try to halt the progression of the virus.

The curfew has been reduced Wednesday to eight hours per day, while restaurants and shopping centers were able to reopen.

In Europe also, the life returns slowly to its rights. Austria reopens Thursday its borders, with the exception of that with Italy. Germany and Belgium are planning to do the same on June 15. The netherlands have announced the easing of warnings about travel in several european countries from 15 June.

“Benvenuti”

Italy, where the tourism sector is vital, was ahead of everyone by re-opening its borders to tourists from Wednesday. “Benvenuti in Italia”, the message was clear: “there is enthusiasm in the air,” exclaimed the head of the Italian government Gisueppe Tale.

In Rome, at the foot of the Trevi Fountain, a young couple was taking advantage Wednesday of the little crowd for posing. “We must savour these moments”, said the husband: “in Rome, and it is rare!”.

Italy has reopened its borders to tourists on Wednesday.

AFP, Alberto Pizzoli

Four european countries, France, Germany, Italy and the netherlands, have also decided to join their efforts to find a vaccine at the time when the controversy about the therapeutic virtues of hydroxychloroquine has once again rebounded.

Take this medicine shortly after having been exposed to the COVID-19 does not allow a priori to prevent an infection, say researchers in the United States after a clinical trial.

What to start a debate, open almost since the beginning of the epidemic on the virtues of this medicine is derived from a anipaludique. Following a mea culpa in the journal The Lancet, which published a highly critical study on the hydroxychloroquine, the world Health Organization (WHO) had announced on Wednesday the resumption of clinical trials on this drug.

Used experimentally in the hospitals of france, in Africa, in Latin America, it is up to the us president, Donald Trump had announced a time to take this drug as a preventative. The doctor of the White House confirmed on Wednesday that he had stopped, he did not have any side effect. The United States had 919 deaths in 24 hours on Wednesday.

Four european countries have decided to combine their efforts to find a vaccine at the time when the controversy about the therapeutic virtues of hydroxychloroquine has once again rebounded.

AFP, George Frey

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