COVID-19

IO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro fired his health minister on Thursday after a series of disagreements over government efforts to contain the new coronavirus. “I just heard from the President Jair Bolsonaro the news of my dismissal from the health ministry,” Luiz Henrique Mandetta posted on his verified Twitter profile, adding that he wished success to his replacement, who is yet to be named officially. He confirmed the announcement in a press conference later.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico’s governor announced Thursday that she has ordered the cancellation of all contracts awarded to people and companies whose names have been publicized as part of a local and federal investigation into an attempted purchase of $38 million worth of COVID-19 testing kits.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Perhaps one of the most heated debates in Mexico during the pandemic —after disagreements about personal protective equipment and testing— is the burning issue of whether beer should be considered an “essential” item during the lockdown.

In recent weeks, Latino workers at meatpacking plants across the country have been infected by the virus.

“To come and find yourself with your family is one of the most beautiful experiences, and I am grateful to God for the opportunity to return to my home after eight months,” said J, one of the men just released from Richwood, Louisiana.

Latino Rebels Radio: April 16, 2020

BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — Engineers in Colombia have developed a mechanical ventilator for COVID-19 patients that could cost as little as $2,000—one of numerous crash projects around the world aimed at helping ease a global shortage of the devices.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) — Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega reappeared Wednesday after 34 days in which he was not seen in public.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s coronavirus point-man said Wednesday there has been widespread non-compliance with orders for all non-essential businesses to close.

SÃO PAULO (AP) — After a heated confrontation with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro last month over his lackadaisical approach to the coronavirus, governors in the South American country have since pulled back, wary of losing vital federal aid in the efforts to control COVID-19.

As we continue in our quarantine, we must ask ourselves:  How will school closures exacerbate educational inequalities for children of immigrants?

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. envoy for Colombia said Tuesday that former combatants are now making face masks to respond to the new coronavirus pandemic, but COVID-19 hasn’t stopped violence against social leaders, human rights defenders and ex-fighters despite a nationwide stay-at-home order.

El Departamento de Salud no ha tenido un proceso efectivo y centralizado para recibir e informar los resultados de las pruebas rápidas. A pesar de que ha repartido miles de pruebas rápidas a hospitales y centros de salud, el Gobierno de Puerto Rico no tiene control sobre qué ocurre con estas pruebas una vez las distribuye.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico has announced an urgent campaign to recruit medical workers for the coronavirus pandemic, but the effort sometimes lacked coordination.

The Bronx is now most susceptible to being ravaged, but the question is still on the table: Where is the plan for the Bronx?

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico officials say data that show COVID-19 cases on the island are much lower than in some U.S. states constitute proof they are containing the new coronavirus, but a series of missteps is raising concerns it could be more widespread than believed.

“So, more tests and less corruption, because we don’t know how people are stealing money in the middle of a pandemic,” one masked protester said.

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemala’s health minister said Tuesday that deportees from the United States were driving up the country’s COVID-19 caseload, adding that on one flight some 75% of the deportees tested positive for the virus.

Latino Rebels Radio: April 14, 2020

No one is being spared from COVID-19’s wrath.  For the Latino community, the numbers are sobering.

The Health Department has been unable to specify how many rapid tests it has conducted nor their results. Mistakes, delays, overpaying, questionable interventions, bureaucracy and deals between officials and suppliers with political ties have characterized the government’s procurement efforts to confront the epidemic. The latter adds to an already difficult situation in which Puerto Rico competes with the rest of the world for supplies in the face of the crisis.