South America

MONTEVIDEO, May 30 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Uruguayan scientists have reported the appearance of a case of mucormycosis, or “black fungus”, a rare infection that began to be reported in India as a disease associated with the coronavirus pandemic.

Professor Henry Albornoz indicated that he was treating a man under 50 years of age and with diabetes, who about ten days after the infection with covid-19 began to present necrosis (tissue death) in the mucosa area and that, by means of a laboratory test, it was confirmed that he had also been infected with the “black fungus.”

RIO DE JANEIRO, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Brazil registered 49,768 new cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours, bringing its total number of confirmed infections to 16,391,930, the Health Ministry said on Friday.

In the same period, 2,371 more people died from the disease, raising the pandemic death toll to 459,045.

The South American country is seeing a second wave of infections in 2021, leading to a collapse of the healthcare system in many parts as most states are unable to cope with the number of COVID-19 patients.

CARACAS, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan Minister of Communication and Information Freddy Nanez said Friday that he stands ready to further promote the partnership between Venezuela and China.

"The Communist Party of China (CPC) is the driver of the economic and political victories of this great country," said Nanez at an online event, adding the CPC has the "virtue of working day and night for the common good of 20 percent of humanity."

RIO DE JANEIRO, May 25 (NNN-CMA) – Brazil reported yesterday, 790 more deaths from COVID-19, raising the national count to 449,858, the Ministry of Health said.

A total of 37,498 more infections were detected, taking the nationwide tally to 16,120,756, the ministry said.

Brazil has the world’s second highest COVID-19 death toll, after the United States, and the third largest caseload, following the United States and India.

CALI (Colombia), May 23 (NNN-TELESUR) — Colombia’s Institute for Development and Peace Studies (INDEPAZ) denounced the forced disappearance of Cali citizens by the Mobile Anti-riot Squadron (ESMAD) agents.

On Thursday, the victims were detained in a supermarket in the city without the presence of local authorities. According to INDEPAZ, this was an illegal procedure and a violation of human rights.

(Reuters) --- The death toll from COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean passed 1 million people on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, with the pandemic worsening in the part of the world with the highest per capita death rate.

From the dusty highlands of Bolivia to the Brazilian metropolis of São Paulo, the pandemic has swamped underfunded healthcare systems after spreading fast across nations where many people survive hand-to-mouth and have been unable to enter lockdown.

BRASILIA, May 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Brazil will receive ingredients from China to produce up to 25 million doses of the AstraZeneca and Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines on Saturday and early next week, Health Ministry and political officials said.

Rodrigo Cruz, executive secretary at the Health Ministry, said the Fiocruz biomedical center will receive two lots of ingredients for 18 million AstraZeneca shots on Saturday, while Sao Paulo governor Joao Doria said the state’s Butantan biomedical institute will receive ingredients for 7 million shots on May 26.

SANTIAGO, May 17 (Xinhua) -- An updated study showed that the CoronaVac vaccine developed by Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac is 65.3 percent efficacious in preventing COVID-19, Chile's Health Ministry said on Monday.

"With at least four months of follow-up, we have super reliable and positive numbers," said Dr. Rafael Araos, an advisor to the Undersecretariat of Public Health, adding that data obtained over the period are "consistent."

Despite the COVID-19 variants in circulation, "the vaccine is performing adequately," he told reporters at a press conference.

BUENOS AIRES, May 16. / TASS /: A batch of 400,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 jab has been delivered to Bolivia, the Telesur TV channel announced.

Bolivian President Luis Arce and Russian Ambassador Mikhail Ledenev took part in the ceremony of receiving the cargo at the Cochabamba international airport.

(Reuters) --- Members of Colombia’s national police force who are responsible for abuses or acts of violence amid ongoing protests will be punished to the full extent of the law, the head of the force said.

Demonstrators and human rights groups have repeatedly accused police officers of killing civilians, excessive use of force, sexual abuse and the use of firearms, both during current protests and previous ones.

Accusations of possible abuse of a minor in the city of Popayan have sparked violent protests there this week.