COVID-19 cases triple in Latin America in only a month

BOGOTA, Colombia

The coronavirus pandemic has yet to peak in the Americas, the World Health Organization warned Wednesday, as it said global infections were likely to hit 10 million within a week.

In most Latin American countries, the arrival of the peak has been delayed even as countries maintain quarantines that people seem no longer to obey. In some countries, businesses are reopening, activities are resuming and people are starting to live life as normal, even though the number of deaths multiply every day.

Since last month, cases have tripled in Latin America and the Caribbean from nearly 690,000 on May 23 to more than 2 million, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Carissa F. Etienne said Wednesday.

Brazil

Brazil recorded 1,185 deaths from the coronavirus during the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths to 53,830.

The confirmed number of cases of COVID-19 now stand at 1,188,631 in Brazil, the second-most affected country by the pandemic behind the United States.

Chile

For the second day in a row, new cases in Chile fell back below 4,000, but health authorities said Wednesday there is no reason to relax because the situation is still "very serious."

In the last 24 hours, 3,649 new cases of COVID-19 were registered, bringing the total number of infected people to 254,416. Chile has the seventh-highest number of cases in the world, surpassing Spain and Italy, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Bolivia

Due to an increase in cases of COVID-19 in Bolivia last week, Argentine President Alberto Fernández decided to close the border, leaving Bolivian citizens completely isolated in Salta, a province of Argentina which borders Bolivia.

"I have just been informed by President Alberto Fernandez that the International Passage of Salvador Mazza is closed. Thanks to him and to the minister of the interior for listening to our request and taking care of the health and lives of the people of Salta," tweeted Salta Governor Gustavo Saenz.

The closure of the border had begun last week in Jujuy, a province of Argentina that borders Bolivia.

Bolivia has over 26,000 cases, while Argentina has recorded more than 47,000 confirmed cases.

Dominican Republic

Dominican Tourism Minister Francisco Javier García confirmed Wednesday that the reopening of the sector will happen on July 1, despite an increase in the contagion in recent weeks. The country has 28,631 cases and 691 fatalities.