Coronavirus Latin America: Sao Paulo COVID-19 Deaths May Be Higher, State Official Says
Increasing COVID-19 cases and deaths across Latin America are worrying health authorities, especially amid ongoing easing of movement restrictions and the reopening of many business operations.
Sao Paulo Cases may be Higher than Reported
Coordinator of the Sao Paulo's health ministry Paulo Menezes said there is a possibility that the number of deaths linked to COVID-19 may be higher than what the Brazilian health authorities are reporting.
Menezes pointed out that some of the fatalities may have been reported as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) instead of the novel coronavirus due to the lack of testing in the country.
The latest data revealed that Sao Paulo only performs around 8,000 coronavirus tests per day. However, the state has a population of over 45 million, indicating that the tests carried out daily are not at par with the population.
Menezes further explained that the situation in Sao Paulo is not an isolated case since it is also rampant in other countries where testing is below the supposed volume.
As of Thursday, the state logged a total of 129,200 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 5,717 deaths.
Brazil Overtakes Italy in Fatalities
Italy is no longer the third hardest-hit country in the world in terms of deaths as Brazil surpassed the European country's figures. The hardest-hit country in Latin America logged 1,437 new deaths on Thursday, bringing the national fatality toll to 34,021.
It is further expected that deaths linked to the coronavirus in Brazil will continue to climb and the possibility of the country overtaking United Kingdom with the second-highest number of fatalities is high.
The news came amid reopening efforts by most governments across the country. However, health authorities have been warning against reopening the economy too early in the state that Brazil is in.
Rio de Janeiro Lifts Restrictions on Street Vending
In the second largest city in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, over 10,000 street vendors were allowed to start working again on Thursday, as the local government talked of hunger and financial strains among those working in the informal sector.
Rio Mayor Marcelo Crivella told the media upon the reopening of street vending that a child told him, "I prefer to die of coronavirus than see my family die of hunger."
However, there is an outcry among health experts for local governments to be careful in lifting movement orders since Brazil has yet to see a significant decline in new infections.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, on the other hand, said during a Facebook Live session on Thursday that the federal solicitor general should go ahead and sue states that refuse to reopen beaches.
As of Thursday, Brazil surged past the 600,000-mark with a total of 615,870 confirmed COVID-19 infections.
Mexico Deaths Over 800 in 24 Hours
In Mexico, the death rate refuses to wind down as the country logged 816 new fatalities linked to the novel coronavirus. The national total now stands at 12,545.
The new deaths have placed Mexico seventh in the world in the most number of fatalities linked to COVID-19. Mexico City and Tabasco are two of the hardest-hit and the states continue to struggle with rising cases and deaths.
Aside from surging deaths and cases, Mexican healthcare workers are also suffering from physical and verbal abuse due to the belief that healthcare providers may be infecting communities.
As of Thursday, Mexico registered a total of 105,680 confirmed coronavirus cases.