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Latin America becomes new epicenter of coronavirus pandemic, as corruption surges with mismanaged relief funds - Fox News
May 28, 2020 1 min, 56 secs
prepares to temporarily ban travel from Brazil to limit the spread of coronavirus; Gillian Turner reports.

Latin America has become the new epicenter of the global coronavirus outbreak, as the region has seen more than 2.4 million cases and more than 143,000 deaths, a health official announced Tuesday.

Sao Paulo authorities dug hundreds of new graves in anticipation of an increase in the city's death rate amid the presence of the new coronavirus pandemic.

Defense Department said Brazil will be added to a list of travel-restricted countries currently including Iran, China, and most European countries, which have all been highly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

“By adding Brazil to the list of travel-restricted nations based on a careful and thorough analysis of data, we are proactively mitigating another risk factor to our communities.

As healthcare workers in Latin America being prioritized to treat the influx of COVID-19 patients, those who suffer from non-communicable diseases lack access to care due to disruptions in the health system.

The PAHO said, before the pandemic, 81 percent of all deaths Latin America were due to non-communicable diseases, with 39 percent of these deaths were premature before age 70.

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, wearing a mask against the spread of the new coronavirus, carries a child dressed in military policeman's uniform during a protest against the Supreme Court and Brazil's National Congress, to back his open-the-economy drive amid the pandemic, in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, May 17, 2020.

Corruption in Latin America is on the rise amid the pandemic, as politicians from Panama to Argentina have been forced to resign in recent weeks for allegedly profiteering off the crisis, making fraudulent purchases of ventilators, masks, and other medical supplies, the New York Times reported.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has faced widespread scrutiny both domestically and from abroad for flouting the advice of his own public health advisers, mingling and taking photos among large crowds of supporters during the pandemic.

Meanwhile, hospitals have become overwhelmed across Brazil, the largest country in South America, and in the city of São Paulo, officials say the public healthcare system is reaching near collapse

Wilson Witzel, once an ally-turned-foe of Bolsonaro, is accused of using his wife's law firm to embezzle money from government contractors hired to build field hospitals amid the pandemic, according to Reuters

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