Latin America named virus epicenter as Trump seeks US reopening
23 May, 2020
The World Health Organization declared Latin America "a new epicenter" of the coronavirus pandemic as President Donald Trump ramped up pressure on state and local governments to increase the reopening of the reeling American economy.
Surges in infections across a lot of Central and SOUTH USA have driven the global case count to almost 5.2 million, with an increase of than 337,000 deaths, even while hard-hit Europe and the United States cautiously transfer to a recovery phase.
The death toll in Brazil has soared past 20,000, and with 310,000 reported cases, it has the third-biggest caseload on earth behind america and Russia.
"In a sense, SOUTH USA has turned into a new epicenter for the condition," WHO emergencies director Mike Ryan said on Friday.
"We've seen many South American countries with more and more cases... but certainly the most damaged is Brazil at this point."
Unlike in Europe and america, where in fact the elderly were hardest-hit, a significant number of deaths in Brazil have been younger people, who are often driven by poverty to work regardless of the threat of infection.
"Since Brazil includes a younger population, it's normal for the number of cases to be higher among under-60s," said Mauro Sanchez, an epidemiologist at the University of Brasilia.
"What's perverse is that the majority of the persons who are exposing themselves to the virus are carrying it out because they don't really have a choice."
As the toll mounted, grave-diggers at a cemetery outside Sao Paulo scrambled to keep up.
"We've been working 12-hour days, burying them one following the other," said one worker at Vila Formosa, wearing a white protective suit, mask and face shield.
"It generally does not stop."
'We need more prayer'
In Washington, President Trump, keen to locate a way to avoid it of the crisis and facing an uphill re-election battle, ramped up pressure on state and local governments to help ease lockdown measures.
The pandemic has hammered the American economy and resulted in calls for an end to virus restrictions, regardless of the COVID-19 numbers still rising in america -- the worst-hit country on the globe with 1.6 million infections and 96,000 deaths.
Trump demanded state governors classify churches, synagogues and mosques as "essential services" on a single level as food and drug stores, and immediately allow them to carry services despite curbs on public gatherings.
"The governors should do the right thing and allow these very important essential places of faith to open at this time, for this weekend," said the president, who counts religious conservatives as a core of his electoral base.
"If they don't do it, I'll override the governors. In America, we need more prayer, not less," added Trump, who has previously expressed support for street protests against lockdowns.
It was not yet determined whether he previously any authority to override the governors.
There is pushback from the mayor of LA after the Trump administration warned that the continued lockdown in the city could be illegal.
"We are not guided by politics in this -- we are guided by science, we are guided by collaboration," said Mayor Eric Garcetti.
In the latest step to restart the economy, the Trump administration said Friday it would exempt from entry bans foreign professional athletes competing in the very best leagues for several sports, including basketball, tennis and golf.
"In the current environment, Americans need their sports," Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Homeland Security department, said in a statement announcing the order.
"It is time to reopen the economy and it's time we get our professional athletes back to work."
'Not possible to save lots of them all'
Experts have warned that until a vaccine or treatment is developed for the virus, lockdown measures will persist in a few form to prevent new waves of infections, one factor that has put immense pressure on economies.
The airline, travel and hospitality sectors have already been hit particularly hard by the pandemic, and car rental giant Hertz became the most recent high-profile victim, announcing Friday that it had been filing for bankruptcy in america and Canada.
It added that the bankruptcy filing excludes its main international operations, including Europe, where many nations are opening up their economies cautiously after slowing the spread of the virus.
France decided that it had been safe to hold a delayed second round of municipal elections on June 28, and the Czech Republic said the epidemic remains contained there, fourteen days after stores, cinemas and restaurant terraces reopened.
Serbia said, meanwhile, that the Exit Festival in Novi Sad -- among Europe's biggest music events -- could go ahead in August as planned, and in Italy Florence's famous Duomo cathedral reopened to the general public.
But authorities remain keen to avoid opening up too fast, with a surge in Russia illustrating how quickly the deadly disease can spread.
Russia has up to now recorded 3,249 deaths -- with a caseload of more 325,000 infections, second and then the United States.
"The seriously ill are building up. Doctors make an effort to save each one who lies there for two, three or even more weeks," said Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
"Unfortunately, it isn't possible to save all of them."
Source: www.thejakartapost.com