Latin America, the new epicenter of the coronavirus epidemic

Text by: Romain Lemaresquier Follow

Latin America is experiencing an alarming increase in new cases and deaths linked to Covid-19. Brazil is the most glaring example. Mexico, Chile, Peru and even Colombia are also experiencing an increase in cases. Explanation.

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As in Europe, each Latin American country is managing the coronavirus crisis in its own way. And as in Europe, where a certain period of time had elapsed between the first confirmed cases and the explosion of the epidemic, the region, relatively spared at the start of the pandemic, is now witnessing a spectacular increase in cases of contamination.

The protection and quarantine measures taken at the start of the crisis by certain governments have made it possible to avoid the worst in these countries. This is not the case in Brazil, which today has more than 580,000 people infected and more than 32,000 dead as a result of Covid-19.

• Brazil: a special case and a new global epicenter

The situation is complex in Brazil and the figures mentioned by the authorities may well be below reality, according to many experts. The fact that President Jair Bolsonaro minimized this disease and the epidemic from the start was, of course, an aggravating factor, even if the governors and mayors adopted their own measures, which made it possible to put quarantines in place and led to the closure of many activities.

At present, the situation is very diverse according to the regions of the country. In the north, for example, some cities, such as Fortaleza, have crossed the epidemic peak while others have not yet reached it. The worst is to be feared, because the sanitation system is already on the verge of explosion. And if the increase in cases continues, Brazilian hospitals will no longer be able to care for new patients. On Wednesday June 3, the country recorded 1,349 deaths, which represents a new record, and the projections of the experts are really not optimistic.

• Mexico is waning as cases increase

Mexico, like Brazil, did not take drastic measures at the start of the epidemic. Admittedly, confinement was put in place, but it was not compulsory, unlike what was done in France. In total, more than 101,000 cases of infected people have been reported by the authorities, who announced that the country has recorded more than 11,500 deaths, including more than 1,000 in the past 24 hours, which again represents a record.

These figures do not bode well, especially since Mexico, after two months of standstill, is in the process of deconfining itself. As proof, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced that he intended to resume his regional tours, even if it was now necessary to get used to a new normal, that is to say the adoption of barrier gestures in particular. A president who says he is closely monitoring the situation to avoid a possible second wave.

• Resurgence of the epidemic in Chile

The Chilean authorities had very quickly put in place quarantine measures at the start of the epidemic, with in particular sanitary cordon installed on highways to prevent people from moving between regions. The problem is that the authorities have decided to deconfine certain districts and cities too quickly.

And in the days following this deconfinement, the numbers of infected people exploded, which forced the authorities to put in place an even stricter quarantine, especially in the capital Santiago where it has just been extended for another week . The country now has more than 110,000 people infected and more than 1,300 dead and with the arrival of the southern winter, scientists fear the worst, because it is not yet known whether seasonality will affect the evolution of the epidemic

Moreover, it is the entire southern cone of the continent which is affected by this factor and this transition to the southern winter. And some of these countries which are in the process of deconfining, such as Ecuador, are likely to see their figures rise again in the days and weeks to come. This is particularly feared by the Peruvian authorities or even Argentina, whose authorities resist the call of its fellow citizens who demand the end of the restrictions and the return to a normal life.

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