Death toll from coronavirus increases to 65 in Latin America

Brasilia, March 23 (RHC)-- Over the weekend, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic had left at least 65 people dead in Latin America, with Brazil reporting the highest death toll among all countries.

Since the confirmation of the first case of the coronavirus in Brazil, several Latin American governments have decreed quarantines and strengthened sanitary measures to prevent the virus from spreading.

In South America, specifically, Brazil is the country most affected by Covid-19, reporting at least 18 deaths and 1,128 infections since Saturday.  The Brazilian government said that since local and community transmission of the virus has already been admitted, now all cases of patients with symptoms of the disease are considered suspicious, so there is no longer any point in disclosing that number.

With seven deaths and at least 506 infections, Ecuador is the second country with the highest number of deaths from the virus in Latin America.

According to the recent death toll announced by the Peruvian authorities, the country has five deaths and 318 cases of COVID-19, being the third country most affected by the coronavirus.

The Argentinean Ministry of Health has reported at least four deaths from the virus and at least 67 new cases, bringing the number of infected to 225 people.

To date, the Dominican Republic has reported a total of three deaths and 112 infections, and Paraguay one death and 18 confirmed cases.

The governments of Colombia and Chile reported the first person killed by the virus on Saturday, the Colombian authorities confirmed more than 200 people infected and the Chilean number of cases was 537.

Edited by Ed Newman