COVID-19 Disease South America Regional Response (Reporting Period September 30 – October 27 2020)
- Countries
- Brazil
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- Sources
- IOM
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SITUATION OVERVIEW
October 27th update: Brazil leads with 5,394,128 cases, followed by Argentina, Colombia and Peru, with 1,090,584, 1,015,885, and 888,715 cases respectively. From October 13th, the sharpest increases in cases were in Uruguay (24%), Argentina (22%), and Paraguay (20%). In South America, the number of cases is at 9,347,456, compared to 7,903,912 thirty days ago, an increase of 19%. In terms of mortality, Brazil also leads with 157,134 deaths, followed by Peru, Colombia, and Argentina, with 34,149, 30,154, and 28,896 deaths, respectively. In the whole region, the number of deaths is at 287,689, compared to 248,532 thirty days ago, an increase of 16%.
As new COVID-19 cases continue to be reported, measures and policies imposed by governments and authorities to limit its spread persist. There are steps towards easing part of the restrictions in some countries: Focalized/selective lockdown, reduced curfew hours, and lifting the bans for certain economic sectors and school classes.
Governments are working on the safe reopening of borders to reduce the socio-economic impact of COVID-19. Some governments have begun to lift bans on domestic and international flights. Despite these air travel flexibilizations in several countries, human mobility in South America persists affected as most of land, sea and river borders remain closed or with heavy restrictions . This situation poses various complex challenges for different population groups, including international migrants who use mostly land crossings. Coordinated efforts made by governments and different authorities to facilitate returns of their nationals and residents stranded abroad are ongoing, including international flights and the opening of land crossing solely for nationals and residents.
In response to the shifting COVID-19 context, some countries in other regions have eased COVID-19 mobility restrictions that also impact in South America. For example, the European Union lifted the travel restrictions at the external borders for “safe countries”, where Uruguay remains as the only South American country included.