COVID-19 VACCINES Colombia greenlights private sector to buy and apply Covid-19 vaccines Yesterdat 08:58 President Iván Duque gives green light for the private sector to buy and distribute coronavirus vaccines under certain conditions.
Global pandemic From hero to zero: Uruguay's coronavirus boomerang 16-04-2021 17:02 Uruguay is going through its worst moment of the pandemic, months after being hailed as an example.
copa américa China's Sinovac to donate vaccine jabs for Copa América 13-04-2021 15:11 South American footballers will be given the Chinese Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine ahead of the Copa América that starts in June, following donation of 50,000 doses.
Global pandemic Uruguay, once Covid haven, suffers record infections and deaths 09-04-2021 15:25 Uruguay is grappling with one of the world’s highest Covid infection rates, with scores killed weekly, schools shut and a confused and weary population searching for answers.
Global pandemic Venezuela claims sanctions blocking vaccine purchases 08-04-2021 11:48 Venezuela's foreign minister claims that without economic sanctions against the government of President Nicolás Maduro, the country would already have purchased all 30 million coronavirus vaccines it needs.
Global pandemic Brazil's Bolsonaro snubs new lockdown calls 08-04-2021 11:44 Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro doubled down on his opposition to lockdown measures to contain Covid-19 Wednesday, as experts warned a largescale stay-at-home was "absolutely necessary" to slow a deadly surge of the coronavirus.
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK IMF projects stronger 2021 growth amid pandemic rebound 06-04-2021 11:01 IMF forecasts that recession-hit Argentina's economy will grow by 5.8% this year, with global GDP expected to rebound 6% overall.
SEMANA SANTA Pope Francis urges vaccines for poor in Easter message 04-04-2021 09:04 Pope Francis urged Catholics to remain hopeful in his Easter Sunday address, calling vaccines an "essential tool" in ending the pandemic and urging their swift rollout to the world's poorest countries.
PRESIDENT TESTS POSITIVE PCR test confirms President Alberto Fernández has Covid-19 03-04-2021 16:47 PCR test confirms Alberto Fernández has been infected with Covid-19; President says he's "fine" during radio interview, hails Sputnik vaccine.
COVID-19 VACCINATION Vaccination plan advances but with difficulties, as second wave nears 03-04-2021 07:57 Confirmed cases now total 2.37 million, with more than 56,000 fatalities. To date, more than four million vaccines have been given.
PRESIDENT TESTS POSITIVE President Alberto Fernández in isolation after testing positive for Covid-19 03-04-2021 00:45 President Alberto Fernández has gone into isolation with suspected Covid-19 and is awaiting the result of a PCR test to confirm if he has the virus or not.
Global pandemic Chile, Bolivia, close borders, Peru locks down in Covid battle 02-04-2021 02:59 Virus surges in Latin America – Chile closes all borders for the month of April; Bolivia shutters frontier with Brazil; Peru goes into Easter lockdown.
Global pandemic Chile closes borders for April as Covid cases rise 01-04-2021 15:11 With new virus variants, believed to be more contagious, spreading across the continent, cases have been soaring in Chile despite its vaccination drive.
Coronavirus pandemic Argentina tightens Covid measures as new virus variants arrive 31-03-2021 14:47 National and regional governments tighten health and sanitary measures against Covid-19 amid concerns over the arrival of new variants of the virus in the country.
Global pandemic More than 80% of intubated Covid patients die in Brazil 31-03-2021 10:27 More than 80% of Covid-19 patients who have to be intubated in Brazil have died since the start of the second wave of infections ravaging the country, according to researchers.
Global pandemic WHO chief urges lab leak probe as leaders eye pandemic treaty 30-03-2021 13:56 The United States and 13 allies on Tuesday jointly voied concern over a World Health Organization-backed report on the origins of Covid-19 and urged China to provide "full access" to experts.
BRAZIL UNDER BOLSONARO Bolsonaro overhauls cabinet as Covid surges in Brazil 29-03-2021 21:28 While speculation had been swirling that Bolsonaro was about to fire foreign minister Ernesto Araujo, who faced criticism for the government's problems securing more Covid-19 vaccines, many of the other changes came as a surprise.
CHILEAN POLITICS Chile president proposes delaying election on new constitution 29-03-2021 19:28 Chilean President Sebastián Piñera on Sunday proposed delaying elections that will choose a commission to rewrite the country's dictatorship-era constitution, due to a surge in Covid-19 infections.
Global pandemic In Brazil, Covid is increasingly hitting the young 23-03-2021 10:10 There are fewer wrinkles and less grey hair among patients in Brazil's intensive care units as the country reels from a surge in Covid-19 that is increasingly hitting people under 60.
POVERTY & THE PANDEMIC Thousands march through Buenos Aires to demand food aid, jobs 19-03-2021 00:57 Thousands of people marched in Buenos Aires on Thursday to demand food aid as the economy has battled the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.
St Patrick's Day Beer and loathing: Irish mourn another St Patrick's Day lockdown 17-03-2021 12:37 For the second year in succession, Dublin's normally raucous St Patrick's Day celebrations have been cancelled by coronavirus curbs.
Global pandemic Under fire, Brazil's Bolsonaro tones down on Covid 17-03-2021 10:26 With Brazil registering record daily death tolls from Covid-19, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is changing his traditionally pandemic-sceptic tune.
Global pandemic Bolsonaro changes health minister again, as Brazil's Covid cases surge 16-03-2021 09:19 Bolsonaro to appoint cardiologist Marcelo Queiroga as health minister, the fourth to hold the post during the pandemic, as the country's health system staggers amid surging Covid-19 cases.
Coronavirus pandemic Government extends health emergency for rest of 2021 12-03-2021 15:47 Alberto Fernández's government rolls over health emergency for the coronavirus pandemic until end of 2021.
FOOTBALL Without fans, South American clubs lose more at home 08-03-2021 14:24 AFP analysed clubs' results across three first-division seasons in three countries – Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay – and found their home performance declined when fans were barred from stadiums because of Covid-19.
International football CONMEBOL postpones World Cup qualifiers over travel constraints 07-03-2021 08:12 CONMEBOL postponed two rounds of 2022 World Cup qualifiers scheduled later this month because of Covid-19 quarantine rules affecting European-based players and the threat of clubs refusing to release their international stars.
HUMAN RIGHTS Formosa: IACHR, UN, opposition concerned by police response to protests 06-03-2021 08:18 UN, IACHR and opposition express concern and criticism, after provincial police officers deploy tear gas and fire rubber bullets against protesters in Formosa rejecting return to strict Covid-19 isolation measures.
Global pandemic Amid virus, a shadow pandemic for domestic abuse sufferers 05-03-2021 02:08 From Argentina to Singapore, virus-induced confinement has caused an increase in violence cases and their severity and made it more difficult to report abuses and help victims, activists say.
Global pandemic Cities in Brazil tighten restrictions amid record Covid surge 04-03-2021 13:53 Brazil's Health Ministry has recorded an average of more than 1,300 Covid-19 fatalities per day over the past week, the worst yet for the hard-hit country of 212 million people.
Poverty UN: Pandemic pushed LatAm extreme poverty to 20-year high 04-03-2021 13:41 Number of poor people in the region rose by 22 million in 2020 to 209 million. ECLAC calls for "new welfare state."
Global pandemic Vaccine delays threaten economies hardest hit by pandemic 23-02-2021 12:24 Latin America and the Caribbean, the region where the coronavirus caused the worst economic destruction and more than a quarter of the world’s deaths, is now falling victim to a slow inoculation campaign.
Global pandemic All over by summer? UK eyes return to normal by end of June 22-02-2021 13:50 British PM Boris Johnson outlines a "gradual and cautious" approach to lifting curbs in England, starting with the return of students to schools from March 8, and non-essential retail from April 12.
Global pandemic Israel's 'green badge' plan to open services to vaccinated stirs concern 17-02-2021 14:36 Israel unveils "green badge" plan to re-open services to those fully inoculated, stirring controversy about unequal access for those who opt out of the jabs.
Coronavirus pandemic Covid-19 shots on the market or in development 17-02-2021 13:56 With several Covid-19 vaccines either being rolled out or under trial, here is a rundown of the various stages of their development.
Global pandemic UN urges global Covid vaccine plan, warns of dangerous inequity 17-02-2021 13:42 Secretary-General António Guterres sounds alarm that just 10 nations have administered 75% of Covid-19 vaccine doses so far – and 130 countries have had none at all.
Covid-19 vaccine Cristina Fernández de Kirchner latest to receive Russian vaccine 25-01-2021 15:16 Vice-president becomes latest high-profile politician to receive Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19.
Valeria Pacheco, AFP Brazil's late and rocky start on vaccinations fuels public ire 25-01-2021 08:26 Brazil's newly launched vaccination campaign against Covid-19 has gotten off to a late and rocky start – as the country is hammered by a second wave of the disease, it is already close to running out of vaccine, syringes and other vital equipment.
Global pandemic Colombia will expel foreigners caught partying as Covid-19 spreads 19-01-2021 08:50 Colombian immigration officials announced Monday that foreign nationals caught taking part in underground parties in violation of a ban on social gatherings during the pandemic will be expelled from the country.
Global pandemic Argentina detects first case of British coronavirus variant 16-01-2021 16:24 Argentina has detected its first case of a British-identified coronavirus variant that appears to be more infectious, authorities said Saturday.
Global pandemic UK to ban South American, Portugal arrivals over Brazil virus strain 14-01-2021 15:47 Britain bans all arrivals from South America, Panama, Cape Verde and Portugal over fears of importing a new coronavirus variant from Brazil.
Working from home Pandemic-driven shift to home work carries risks, UN says 13-01-2021 23:47 Issues facing home workers and their employers need greater attention, including better safeguards and more awareness of the rights and risks involved, warns United Nations.
Coronavirus pandemic Scientists prove that Covid-19 survivors’ plasma could reduce deaths 13-01-2021 16:43 Study led by Argentine scientists concludes blood plasma from recovered Covid-19 patients can reduce chances of patient’s becoming seriously sick from virus.
Coronavirus pandemic Argentine judge orders chlorine dioxide be given to Covid patient 11-01-2021 16:28 Outrage as judge compels private clinic to administer chlorine dioxide to a coronavirus patient in a case medical doctors have labelled "a scandal."
Global pandemic UK PM Johnson orders new lockdown, closes schools in England 04-01-2021 17:23 UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced new strict coronavirus restrictions, closing schools and ordering a third national lockdown for England.
Global pandemic Chile reports Latin America's first detected case of new virus strain 29-12-2020 16:24 Health authorities responded to the news by announcing that from December 31, everyone arriving in Chile would have to spend 10 days in quarantine.
HUNT FOR VACCINE BioNTech: plucky German upstart wins Covid-19 vaccine race 02-12-2020 15:36 A small German biotech firm, started by a husband and wife team with Turkish roots, has created the first authorised vaccine for use in the Western world to help end the coronavirus pandemic.
HUNT FOR VACCINE Government wants to begin Covid-19 vaccinations in January 24-11-2020 22:07 Government plans to start its massive vaccination programme in January, as long as the vaccines are ready available, says Health Minister Ginés González García.
Global pandemic Pandemic inflames gender violence against women 23-11-2020 15:58 No country has been spared the coronavirus epidemic, nor the scourge of domestic violence, which has surged during lockdowns as the day marking such violence approaches on Wednesday.
HUNT FOR VACCINE Pfizer says Covid-19 vaccine 90% effective in Phase 3 trial 09-11-2020 09:05 A vaccine jointly developed by Pfizer and BioNTech was 90% effective in preventing Covid-19 infections in ongoing Phase 3 trials, the companies announced Monday.
FROM WHERE I STAND An election for the soul of America 31-10-2020 08:43 With both the Democratic and Republican candidates in the United States declaring that this election is a battle to save “the soul of America,” it is time to ask where the soul lies. by Robert Cox