….neighbouring country records 291 cases of COVID-19

AS Brazil continues to record additional cases of the Coronavirus, the government in the neighbouring country has gazetted an order to close its border with several countries including Guyana.

The order was effected on Thursday and reports are that the gate along the highway linking Lethem with Bom Fin has been closed to traffic, leaving persons stranded on both sides of the border. The closure is expected to last for two weeks.

According to a report in the Brazilian media entity, Folha, the government in the neighbouring country published an extra edition of the Official Gazette on Thursday in which it determined the need to close its borders with Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru and Suriname. Uruguay was left out of the restrictions imposed by the Brazilian government, the report stated.

The ordinance, signed by the Minister of Health, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, and Justice Sérgio Moro, also restricts foreigners from these countries to enter Brazil by road or by land. The deadline can be extended by technical recommendation from the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa).

On Wednesday, President Jair Bolsonaro had already determined the partial closure of the border with Venezuela.

In Brazil, according to an epidemiological bulletin issued by the Ministry of Health, 291 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed. A report in the Brazilian media noted that at least three deaths were recorded following dozens of tests undertaken by medical professionals. As much as 8000 tests were undertaken by Brazil’s health authorities.
In the state of Roraima, 14 suspected cases of COVID-19 were reported but of this number 9 were discarded. Brazilian media reports have noted that most of the cases of the virus have been made in Sao Paulo.

Globally, statistics on the pandemic as recorded by the World Health Organisation (WHO) are climbing with 207,855 cases reported in 166 countries. Of the total confirmed cases, 8,648 persons have died.