News of virus

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.   

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

Final US presidential debate a brief interlude of normalcy in 2020 race

24-10-2020 12:12 Thursday’s second and final US presidential debate, it turns out, was actually a debate.

In thrall to an abject failure

10-10-2020 10:21 Like many others, the Kirchnerites put their own ideological hang-ups first and human rights a long way second.

by James Neilson