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            Period. 6 – 12 April 2020          

                
       
    


    
    
    

    
          
At 533,470 confirmed cases, the U.S. has more cases than the next four highest reporting countries combined, while also being the first country to surpass 20,000 COVID-related deaths. New York City continues to be the epicentre of the pandemic with almost 200,000 cases, surpassing any other country. Multiple states are reporting that African-Americans are accounting for 60-80% of confirmed cases (while only 14% of U.S. population), which is being attributed to embedded structural inequities.


Confirmed cases and deaths in Canada continue to increase by about 10% a day, surpassing 23,300 and 653, respectively. Based on transmission projections, the government this week announced that control measures, including physical distancing will likely continue until at least June.


Early in the week, the U.S. CDC and Public Health Agency of Canada followed the WHO’s shift in messaging by recommending face coverings in public where other social distancing steps are hard to maintain. Governments are exploring mobile phone-based surveillance measures that could violate civil liberties, while soldiers are being readied to assist with implementation of public health containment measures.


The WHO Regional Office, PAHO, launched a $95 million appeal to support Latin American and Caribbean countries with priority public health measures. In Venezuela, a humanitarian crisis is emerging as chronic food and medical shortages have been exacerbated, prompting UNOCHA to fly in 90 tonnes of COVID-19 relief supplies this week. Off the coast of Uruguay, almost 60% of passengers and crew on board an Australian cruise ship have tested positive for COVID-19. In Ecuador, there has been an alarming 30% increase in confirmed cases to surpass 7,2000, as Chile and Peru are also approaching 7,000 cases.


There is uncertainty in Brazil about the extent of the outbreak, as confirmed cases are approaching 21,000, while one researcher warns of a “mountain of deaths” beyond the over 1,150 officially reported. The government has stopped publishing official number of suspected cases, while only 54,000 test kits were distributed for a population of 210 million, leading to a mining company having to import 500,000 diagnostic kits this week.



    
     
      
      
      
            
      
              

        

          
This development is part of the digest;