South America

BRASILIA, May 1 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — The Russian manufacturers of the Sputnik V vaccine have filed a libel lawsuit in Brazil against the country’s National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) for “intentionally spreading false and inaccurate information” about the covid-19 inoculator after prohibiting its import, citing lack of data, the immunizer’s Twitter account (@sputnikvaccine) reported.

(Reuters) --- The director of Chile’s health regulator said he sees no evidence of safety issues with Sputnik V, the COVID-19 vaccine developed in Russia, despite its rejection by the Brazilian health regulator this week over a lack of information about its safety.

(Reuters) --- A Brazilian court confirmed on Friday the impeachment of Rio de Janeiro's state governor Wilson Witzel over alleged graft in the purchase of medical supplies and services to fight the COVID-19 outbreak.

Witzel, who denies any wrongdoing, had been temporarily removed from power in August 2020.

Investigations by Brazilian prosecutors say that Witzel bought 700 million reais ($128.76 million) in ventilators which have never been delivered to treat COVID-19 patients.

($1 = 5.4366 reais)

BRASILIA, April 30 (Xinhua) -- All Brazilians can be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of the year, Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga said Friday.

"We have enough doses for the second half (of the year) and it is possible to guarantee that by the end of 2021 our entire population will be vaccinated," Queiroga said during a press conference held jointly with the World Health Organization (WHO).

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil on Thursday became the second country to officially top 400,000 COVID-19 deaths, losing another 100,000 lives in just one month, as some health experts warn there may be gruesome days ahead when the Southern Hemisphere enters winter.

April was Brazil’s deadliest month of the pandemic, with thousands of people losing their lives daily at crowded hospitals.

BRASÍLIA, April 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Brazil’s health regulator denied a request from several states to import Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, saying it did not have the technical data needed to verify the jab’s safety and efficacy.

“We will never allow millions of Brazilians to be exposed to products without due verification of quality, safety and efficacy,” said Antonio Barra Torres, president of federal health regulator Anvisa.

LIMA, April 26 (NNN-TELESUR) — Thousands of Peruvians have set up a temporary camp on the outskirts of Lima after losing their homes due to the economic crisis generated by COVID-19.

Government officials have unsuccessfully tried to persuade occupants to leave. They refuse, not having anywhere else to go, their leaders say.

The temporary settlement is located a few meters from the Pacific coast in Villa el Salvador and already has over 9,000 dwellers.

BUENOS AIRES, April 25 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Buenos Aires City Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta ordered all health care facilities regardless of whether public or private to cancel every non-urgent surgical procedure or treatment scheduled for the coming days to make room for the increasing number of covid-19 patients who need hospitalization, it was announced.

RIO DE JANEIRO, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Brazil registered 3,076 more COVID-19-related deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing its death toll to 389,492, the country's Ministry of Health reported on Saturday.

According to the ministry, another 71,137 new cases were registered, bringing the country's caseload to 14,308,215.

Brazil is currently ranked second in the world in the number of deaths from COVID-19, surpassed only by the United States, and third in the world in the number of cases, behind the United States and India.

(Reuters) --- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Friday that if he were to order the military to take the streets and restore order, “the order will be followed,” raising fresh questions about his politicization of the armed forces.

Speaking during a TV interview, Bolsonaro said he would not "go into details into what I'm preparing." But he said that "if we were to have problems, we have a plan of how to enter the field ... our armed forces could one day go into the streets."