[국제]Brazil, 2 thousand corona deaths per day…Chile is on the rise

[앵커]

Amid the rapid spread of the COVID-19 mutation in Brazil, the number of deaths per day is hitting 2,000.

Chile is vaccinating at an unprecedented rate in Latin America, but the increase in confirmed cases has rather steepened.

Let’s take a look at the details with reporter Jo Soo-hyun of the International Department. welcome.

Please tell us about the spread of Corona 19 in Brazil.

[기자]

If you look at the COVID-19 statistics graph of World Omometer.

In Brazil, both new confirmed cases and deaths are on an upward curve.

The number of new confirmed cases per day surpassed 9,800 on the 17th, the highest on a daily basis so far.

It was followed by 87,000 on the 18th and 89,000 on the 19th, and it fell to 70,000 on the 20th, but it is still a high number.

On the 16th, the number of deaths per day reached a record high of 2,798, and it is counting to 2,000 for five consecutive days.

However, according to the statistics of Johns Hopkins University, the number of deaths per day was 2841 on the 16th, and the day with the highest number of new confirmed cases per day was 19, with 9,500 people.

World Omometers are based on GMT, and Johns Hopkins daily statistics are based on Eastern US time, so there are slight differences.

However, it is clear that both confirmed cases and deaths have soared to the highest in the past week.

As of this time, the cumulative confirmed cases in Brazil amounted to 1,1998,000 and the cumulative death toll was 294,000.

[앵커]

Is there any particular reason the situation in Brazil is so deteriorating?

[기자]

Local media analyzes that the spread of Corona 19 in Brazil has fallen out of control.

In particular, the rapid spread of the mutant virus that originated in Amazonas seems to be having a big impact.

This mutation has spread to most of Brazil’s 27 states.

Regional health authorities are urging residents to refrain from activities, so let’s listen to them.

[다니엘 소란즈 / 브라질 리우데자네이루 보건국장 : 집에 머물러야 할 때입니다. 변이 바이러스 ‘P.1’이 집중적으로 퍼지고 있는데 더 심각해질 수 있습니다.]

Variations from Brazil are spreading rapidly to neighboring countries as well.

So far, infections have been reported in seven of the 13 countries in South America, including Argentina, Peru and Chile.

As the sense of crisis grows, neighboring countries are tightening quarantine measures, such as blocking borders without consultation with Brazil.

The World Health Organization warned that Brazil’s COVID-19 situation is likely to threaten not only Latin America, but the world as well.

[앵커]

Another Latin American country, Chile, is also seeing an increase in corona19 patients recently?

[기자]

Yes, in Chile, the number of new confirmed cases on the 20th of the local time exceeded 7,000, the highest since the coronavirus outbreak.

As the number of patients continued to increase over the past month, the cumulative number of confirmed cases exceeded 930,000.

Unusually, this second epidemic came while vaccination was accelerating.

Chile started vaccination with the Pfizer vaccine in December last year, and the Chinese Synovac vaccine was also introduced last month.

Currently, 29.3% of the people have been vaccinated more than once.

The percentage of those who completed both doses was 15%, the second highest in the world after Israel at 52.3%.

The vaccination rate is the fastest in the world, so 1.39% of the population is given the vaccine per day.

Rather, it is being observed that the situation has worsened as the public’s attitude toward quarantine has loosened along with large-scale vaccinations.

[앵커]

How is the Chilean government moving to block the second outbreak?

[기자]

The Chilean government introduced a blockade again after seven months.

There are restrictions on going out from the 20th in several areas, including the capital Santiago.

Immigration regulations have also been strengthened, such as extending the quarantine period for immigration from Brazil.

Chilean Health Minister Enrique Parisis predicts that by the end of June, 80% of the population will be vaccinated.

He emphasized that tensions should not be released until collective immunity is formed.

Local experts continue to voice warnings, so let’s listen to them.

[오스카 아르티가 / 칠레대학교 공중보건학과 교수 : 전 국민의 60%가 백신을 2회 접종할 때까지 팬데믹을 통제하거나 감염 사례를 줄이는 게 매우 어렵습니다.]

[앵커]

Lastly, this is the news about the Pfizer vaccine.

Pfizer warned not to block UK exports of its vaccines to the EU?

[기자]

Yes, the UK Daily Telegraph said that Pfizer and Bio&Tech recently communicated these concerns to the EU Commission.

Pfizer feared that “the UK is heavily dependent on the supply of fat components necessary for vaccine manufacture, and if supply and demand ceases due to constant stimulation of the UK, vaccine production will stop within a few weeks.”

These warnings came amid intensifying conflict between the EU and the UK over the supply of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The EU is in the position that the UK does not sufficiently supply the AstraZeneca vaccine produced in its country to the EU.

The UK is refuting that it has never stopped exporting vaccines.

EU Commissioner Von der Reien warned on the 17th that it could block the export of vaccines to the UK. Now, as Pfizer has spoken out, the related nervous war is getting sharper.