Over the past few weeks, Latin American countries have experienced both increases and declines in daily new coronavirus infections, but the risks remain.
Argentina Logs Biggest Single-Day Jump in New Cases
On Tuesday, Argentina reported an increase of 8,771 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, marking the highest single-day jump in daily infections in the country since the pandemic started.
The previous record was set a day earlier, when Argentina reported an increase of 8,713 new cases in one day. The country now has a total of 359,638 confirmed coronavirus cases.
While Argentina is the sixth hardest-hit country in Latin America, the stakes are high as other countries around the world have started recovering from the pandemic.
Brazil's Daily Deaths Still Over a Thousand
In the hardest-hit country in Latin America, deaths linked to COVID-19 have reached 116,580 following the confirmation of 1,271 more lives claimed by the virus over the past 24 hours.
Brazil remains the second hardest-hit country in the world and it now has at least 3,674,176 confirmed coronavirus infections.
The Brazilian government has been criticized globally for its alleged failures in managing the crisis appropriately. President Jair Bolsonaro has also been questioned for championing a drug that has yet to be confirmed as a sure treatment against the virus.
Indigenous People of Brazil Grieve Losses
Brazil's indigenous people have been calling for increased protection against COVID-19 from the government, with some groups initiating protests to further make their voices heard.
Multiple indigenous groups in the country continue to grieve not just the lack of support from the government but also the deaths of their leaders and people.
Earlier this month, the indigenous people of the upper Xingu lost their chief, Aritana Yawalapiti, to the novel coronavirus. Aritana was their leader for around 50 years.
In late June, Gandmother Bernaldina, also called Vovó by her people, passed away from COVID-19. She was a respected healer and artist from the Raposa Serra do Sol territory's Macuxi tribe.
Aside from Aritana and Grandmother Bernaldina, 168 other elders and leaders of indigenous groups in Brazil have succumbed to COVID-19. It is unclear whether there were deaths among indigenous leaders that were not included in official data.
Fears of a Plateau in Mexico
On Tuesday, Mexico logged 4,916 new confirmed coronavirus cases, bringing the national infection toll to 586,621. While the daily log is a decline from the previous week's average, there are still fears of a plateau.
The Mexican health department's epidemiology director, José Luis AlomÍa, said it appears that the country's COVID-19 trend "is moving toward what could be a plateau."
It remains to be seen whether Mexico will reach its peak in the coming weeks or the plateau trend will continue.
Colombia Open for Further Vaccine Trials
Colombian Health Minister Fernando Ruiz on Tuesday said the country is in talks with other firms for the possibility of conducting further clinical trials for a potential COVID-19 vaccine.
Earlier this week, the government confirmed that it will work with Johnson & Johnson for clinical trials on the pharmaceutical's potential vaccine.
Colombia is among the countries that crossed the 500,000 mark in confirmed coronavirus cases. As of Tuesday, the country had 562,128 infections and 17,889 deaths.
