Rio de Janeiro (AFP)
Latin America still suffers from the coronavirus epidemic, Brazil at the head which broke a new death record on Wednesday, in contrast to Europe where the borders reopen, as in Austria on Thursday, in full controversy over the 'hydroxychloroquine.
Brazil recorded 1,349 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours, a new record for this country, the most affected in Latin America. A curfew was also imposed from Wednesday in twenty locations in the state of Bahia, in northeast Brazil, in an attempt to contain the rampant expansion of the coronavirus pandemic.
"If we do not act, we risk seeing an explosion in demand for intensive care beds and we will not be able to meet them," warned Bahia state governor Rui Costa.
Brazil, the new epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic, now has 32,548 dead and nothing seems to be able to stop the progression of the new coronavirus in this country.
The figures, which the scientific community considers grossly undervalued, place the Latin American giant in fourth place in the world for the dead, behind the United States - which remains by far the country hardest hit with 107,000 dead - the Kingdom -United Kingdom (39,728) and Italy (33,530).
- Mexico: 1,000 deaths per day-
Mexico, for its part, crossed the 1,000 death mark in 24 hours on Wednesday, for the first time since the start of the epidemic. The total balance exceeds 11,000 deaths there.
In total, the Covid-19 pandemic has killed more than 382,000 people on the planet since its appearance in December in China, according to a report established Wednesday by AFP from official sources.
In Chile, another South American country hit hard by the epidemic, the authorities have decided to extend the confinement to Santiago for a fourth week. On the other hand, Ecuador will ease the drastic restrictions taken in Quito to try to halt the spread of the virus.
The curfew was reduced to eight hours a day on Wednesday, while restaurants and shopping centers were able to reopen.
In Europe too, life is gradually regaining its rights. Austria reopens its borders on Thursday, with the exception of that with Italy. Germany and Belgium plan to do the same on June 15. The Netherlands, for its part, announced the relaxation of travel warnings in several European countries from June 15 also.
- "Benvenuti" -
Italy, where the tourism sector is vital, outperformed everyone by reopening its borders to tourists as of Wednesday. "Benvenuti in Italia", the message was clear: "there is enthusiasm in the air", exclaimed the head of the Italian government Gisueppe Conte.
In Rome, at the foot of the Trevi Fountain, a newlywed couple took advantage of the low crowds on Wednesday to pose. "You have to savor these moments," said the husband: "in Rome, it's rare!".
Four European countries, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, have also decided to join forces to find a vaccine at a time when the controversy over the therapeutic properties of hydroxychloroquine has once again rebounded.
Taking this drug, shortly after being exposed to Covid-19 does not a priori prevent an infection, say researchers in the United States following a clinical trial.
What revive a debate, open almost since the beginning of the epidemic on the virtues of this drug derived from an antimalarial. Following a mea culpa from the journal The Lancet, which published a very critical study on hydroxychloroquine, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Wednesday the resumption of clinical trials on this drug.
burs / ob / roc
© 2020 AFP