News of covid

Global pandemic

Youngsters in Latin America vent pandemic fury after lost 2020

Yesterdat 23:30 For four young adults across Latin America, 2020 was meant to be a year of freedom and opportunity. Instead, the coronavirus pandemic brought confinement and frustration.

HUNT FOR VACCINE

Argentina to co-produce coronavirus vaccine with Mexico

Yesterdat 17:48 President Alberto Fernández confirms Argentina and Mexico will co-produce millions of doses of a coronavirus vaccine developed by scientists at the University of Oxford and Swedish-British pharma firm AstraZeneca.

BLOOMBERG

After 146 days in lockdown, Argentina's virus problem is only getting worse

Yesterdat 17:15 Argentina’s coronavirus fight is taking a turn for the worse as the nation that implemented one of region's strictest lockdowns sees deaths surge anyway.

Coronavirus pandemic

Officials express concern as Argentina surpasses 5,000 coronavirus dead

Yesterdat 16:49 Argentina surpassed 5,000 deaths from the novel coronavirus on Wednesday after registering a record 325 new fatalities over the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry said.

Coronavirus pandemic

Officials confirm 241 fatalities from Covid-19 in just 24 hours

11-08-2020 22:33 Argentina registers more than 200 deaths in a single day for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic arrived. In total, more than 5,000 fatalities have been recorded to date.

STATE OIL FIRM

YPF posts US$1.1 billion loss for second quarter

11-08-2020 22:11 State oil company confirms losses totalling 85 billion pesos (US$ 1.105 billion) in the second quarter of the year.

Global pandemic

Russia declares itself 'first' to develop coronavirus vaccine

11-08-2020 15:21 Russia claimed Tuesday it has developed the world's first vaccine offering "sustainable immunity" against the coronavirus, despite mounting scepticism about its effectiveness as fears grow over a second wave of infections across the globe.

Coronavirus Pandemic

Pandemic wrecks global class of 2020's hopes for first job

11-08-2020 14:38 Around the world, young people armed with new degrees, diplomas and professional qualifications are struggling to enter the workforce as the pandemic pushes the global economy into recession.

Markets

Stocks move higher, pushing S&P 500 closer to record high

11-08-2020 14:13 Stocks are opening higher on Wall Street, pushing the S&P 500 ever closer to the all-time high it reached back in February, before the coronavirus shutdowns slammed the economy.

Brazilian football

Brazil's Serie A already in doubt after infected first round

11-08-2020 12:18 Nine football players in Brazil have tested positive for Covid-19, casting doubt on the decision to resume the championship originally scheduled to start in May.

Coronavirus pandemic

Students in San Juan Province happy to be back in the classroom

10-08-2020 23:54 Students in the last years of primary and secondary school return to their desks, in groups of no more than 15 students at a time.

Coronavirus pandemic

Students in San Juan Province first to return to face-to-face classes

10-08-2020 01:25 Children and teenagers in the province will return to schools under a “bimodal” education system, “bubble” classrooms and with a sanitary kit for each student.

Global pandemic

Brazil surpasses grim milestone of 100,000 coronavirus deaths

09-08-2020 08:38 Just a day after Latin America and the Caribbean became the hardest-hit region in the global pandemic, Brazil reported a total of 100,477 fatalities, joining the United States as the only two countries to surpass the six-digit death mark.

FOOTBALL IN ARGENTINA

First tentative steps toward ‘normality’ for the national game

08-08-2020 10:07 Argentine football's stars are finally preparing to shed the paunch and unwelcome kilos as they head back to training.

by Dan Edwards

COPING WITH THE PANDEMIC

Slum priests, jack-of-all-trades in Buenos Aires’ villas

08-08-2020 09:59 Local church leaders take on all tasks, as they help to keep residents and their communities afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.

CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

More than 235,000 Covid-19 cases since start of pandemic

08-08-2020 09:46 Government bans social gatherings as virus toll continues to mount and new daily records for both cases and fatalities. Death toll now stands at 4,411.

TIMELINE

How Argentina and its creditors reached a deal

08-08-2020 09:43 Agreement with bondholders brings months of negotiations to an end. Here’s how we got here.

LAST SEVEN DAYS

What we learned this week: August 1 to August 8

08-08-2020 09:31 Stories that caught our eye over the last seven days in Argentina

Coping with the pandemic

Pandemic tough on Argentina's overworked care-givers

08-08-2020 09:01 Many healthcare professionals were struggling even before the virus crisis, which for most has led to even tougher times on the job.

COPING WITH THE PANDEMIC

Pandemic exacerbates challenges facing Argentina’s disabled community

08-08-2020 08:54 For those living with disabilities, the virus crisis has posed a unique threat to their ability to access basic healthcare, education and to their own individual autonomy.

by Jennifer Heiman

Coronavirus pandemic

Miguel Etchecolatz, ‘Tigre’ Acosta test positive for coronavirus

06-08-2020 23:38 Two of the most infamous criminals convicted of crimes against humanity during Argentina’s last military dictatorship (1976-1983), Miguel Etchecolatz and Jorge 'Tigre' Acosta, test positive for Covid-19.

by Luciana Bertoia

FOOTBALL & CORONAVIRUS

Football clubs granted permission to restart training by government

06-08-2020 14:50 Health Ministry confirms safety protocols for returning of football training, with clubs due to play in Copa Libertadores set to restart first.

Coronavirus pandemic

Argentina surpasses 7,000 virus cases in a single day

06-08-2020 02:33 Health Ministry confirms more than 7,000 infections in a day for the first time since the pandemic began. Death toll rises to 4,106.

Global pandemic

Colombia's long virus lockdown fuels anxiety and depression

05-08-2020 23:49 In the Colombian capital of Bogotá, the mayor’s office reports that suicide attempts are up 21% since the start of quarantine, with psychologists also reporting a rise in new patients.

Global pandemic

Virus exposes cracks in Brazil's public health system

05-08-2020 16:14 Brazil's health system, one of the only health systems in Latin America to offer universal coverage, has been strained by the coronavirus pandemic.

Global Pandemic

Artificial intelligence helps doctors fight Covid-19 in Brazil

05-08-2020 15:28 In their effort to combat under-testing, Brazil is utilising artificial intelligence to help detect infections.

Coronavirus pandemic

Argentina records new daily highs for Covid-19 deaths and infections

04-08-2020 23:30 Argentina registered 168 deaths and 6,792 infections with coronavirus on Tuesday, two record figures for a single day.

Global pandemic

Latin American coronavirus cases top five million

03-08-2020 23:52 Global infections passed 18 million, with Brazil driving the regional surge. South America's largest country has recorded 2.75 million cases, and close to half the region's 202,000 deaths.

Coronavirus pandemic

Government bans social gatherings in Argentina for next 15 days

02-08-2020 22:42 Health Access Secretary Carla Vizzotti confirms ban on social gatherings in all parts of the country until August 16, amid surge of Covid-19 infections and fatalities.

Coronavirus pandemic

Argentina surpasses 200,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19

02-08-2020 21:00 Health Ministry confirms 5,376 new cases, pushing country past 200,000 threshold.

Airlines & Aviation

LATAM airline says it will lay off 2,700 crew

02-08-2020 19:29 Latin America's biggest airline said Friday it was laying off at least 2,700 crew to cope with the devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the aviation industry.

WEEKLY ROUND-UP

What we learned this week: July 25 to August 1

01-08-2020 09:18 The most important stories that caught our eye in the last seven days.

CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

President extends Covid-19 lockdown ‘on same terms’ despite surge in cases

01-08-2020 08:47 ‘Cuarentena sin cambios’ – Lockdown in Buenos Aires metropolitan area extended until August 16, after week of record numbers of cases and fatalities.

Coronavirus pandemic

Government halts easing of virus lockdown for at least two weeks

31-07-2020 19:00 Officials decide to delay move to further ease confinement measures for at least two more weeks due to the high number of Covid-19 infections and for fear that the health system might collapse.

Coronavirus pandemic

Record Covid-19 highs: 6,377 new cases, 153 deaths in 24 hours

31-07-2020 03:13 As of Thursday, the country has recorded 185,360 confirmed cases, with 3,441 fatalities. According to Health Ministry records, 80,596 have recovered.

COPA LIBERTADORES

Fernández questions if local clubs should play in Copa Libertadores

30-07-2020 23:14 President asks if local clubs should be travelling to participate in the region’s most prestigious football tournament, given the advance of Covid-19 in Latin America.

Global pandemic

Brazil reopens to foreign visitors arriving by air, despite virus crisis

30-07-2020 11:04 Move comes even as Brazil registered record numbers of daily infections and deaths, bringing the overall figures past 2.5 million and 90,000, respectively.

LONG READ

Misinformation on coronavirus is proving highly contagious in US

30-07-2020 00:06 As the world races to find a vaccine and a cure for Covid-19, there is seemingly no antidote in sight to the burgeoning outbreak of conspiracy theories, hoaxes, anti-mask myths and sham treatments.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Hit by Covid-19 lockdown, exports fell 11% in the first half of year

28-07-2020 22:23 In the first six months of 2020, exports reached US$27.388 billion, reveals INDEC national statistics bureau.

Coronavirus pandemic

Clinical trials of equine serum for Covid-19 patients begin

28-07-2020 15:21 Argentina this week started clinical tests on patients using a hyperimmune solution based on equine serum, a potential medicament for treating people with Covid-19.

Global pandemic

Peru says over 900 girls, women feared dead since pandemic began

28-07-2020 00:15 A staggering 900-plus girls and women are missing and feared dead in Peru since Covid-19 confinement began, according to officials.

Coronavirus pandemic

More than 3,000 deaths from Covid-19 since pandemic began

27-07-2020 23:08 Health Ministry confirms 4,890 new cases and 121 fatalities. In total, Argentina has recorded 167,416 infections and 3,059 deaths since pandemic began.

Global pandemic

Global virus deaths pass 650,000 as new surges prompt fresh curbs

27-07-2020 17:08 Even as the grim figures keep rolling in, the World Health Organisation is arguing against a wholesale closing of borders, as global death toll reaches 650,000.

AS I SEE IT

Alberto, Cristina and a sinking economy

25-07-2020 09:45 Macri’s experience suggests that Alberto’s chances of convincing the moneymen that it would be in their interest to lend Argentina a hand right now are close to zero.

by James Neilson

CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

Concern as virus surges at ‘alarming’ rate in Buenos Aires Province

25-07-2020 09:27 Kicillof offers 500-peso daily stipend to encourage those with ‘mild’ Covid-19 to self-isolate, amid fears for health system. Infections on rise in at least 21 of the 35 Greater Buenos Aires districts, says IIE research institute

THE LAST SEVEN DAYS

What we learned this week: July 18th - July 25th

25-07-2020 09:23 Stories that caught our eye in Argentina from the last seven days.

CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

Argentina breaks past 150,000 infections

25-07-2020 08:35 Officials on Friday confirmed 105 fatalities and 5,493 cases, closing off a week in which the country recorded an average of more than 5,000 new infections each day.

POLITICS & THE PANDEMIC

Don't plan on a plan from Fernández

25-07-2020 08:20 By shunning “plans” Fernández is emulating his former boss, late former president Néstor Kirchner, who preferred to deal with issues as they came along without committing to a plan that could be easily derided.

by Martín Gambarotta

TRAVEL & TOURISM

Pandemic deals brutal blow to Argentina’s tourism industry

25-07-2020 07:51 Tourism chambers and agencies call for emergency legislation to protect businesses, with slump in activity expected to shave between one and four percent off Argentina’s GDP this year. More than 80,000 job losses anticipated across sector.

by Fermin Koop

BLOOMBERG

Jobs are being wiped out at airlines – and there’s worse to come

24-07-2020 15:34 About 400,000 airline workers have been fired, furloughed or told they may lose their jobs due to the coronavirus.