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COVID-19 cases rise in Mexico, Brazil

Mexico City, Mexico
AP

Mexico passed the 40,000-death mark Tuesday and reported near-record levels of newly confirmed coronavirus cases. 

The Health Department reported that COVID-19 deaths rose by 915 to reach 40,400, the fourth highest total behind the United Kingdom at 45,507. 

Coronavirus Mexico posters

A man not wearing a face mask walks by as city health department workers affix a series of posters advocating mask use to a wall, in San Mateo Xalpa in the Xochimilco district of Mexico City, on Tuesday, 21st July. The posters say, in Spanish, “For love, for protection, for health, for self-worth, for respect, wear it.” To help battle the pandemic in hard-hit areas, the city health department has set up mobile testing units and sent teams of workers to hang posters and distribute informational pamphlets about how to prevent COVID-19. PICTURE: AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell.

Mexico’s number of confirmed cases rose by 6,859 to 356,386, and the country now rivals Peru for the sixth-highest number of cases, but Mexico does so little testing that its number is considered vastly undercounted.

By Tuesday, Mexico had conducted just over 820,000 tests, or about one test for every 160 inhabitants. In recent weeks, 47 per cent of all tests have come back positive, suggesting Mexico is mainly testing only those with considerable symptoms.

Health authorities indicated the country only has about 170,000 tests left, but left open the possibility of acquiring more.

Meanwhile in Brazil, authorities say the country’s Sao Paulo state has topped 20,000 deaths from COVID-19, while the nation as a whole has recorded more than 80,000 fatalities due to the coronavirus.

Sao Paulo is Brazil’s most populous state, with 46 million people, and is the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the South American country.

It has been enforcing social distancing measures since mid-March, but has never applied a full lockdown.

Sao Paulo Governor João Doria replaced his health secretary this week, though he says the official left the post for medical reasons unrelated to the coronavirus.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro says he has had a third test to see if he is still infected with the coronavirus and that the result will be released Wednesday.

Speaking to supporters gathered in front of the presidential residence Tuesday, Bolsonaro said, “God willing, I will test negative.”

The President announced on 7th July that he had COVID-19, the disease that can be caused by the virus. On 15th July, he said he had tested positive one more time.

Bolsonaro says that if his latest test proves negative, he wants to travel Friday to the state of Piauí in north-eastern Brazil. The head of Brazil’s Ministry of Regional Development is scheduled to visit the city of Floriano in that state to dedicate new housing and a sanitation system.

 

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