Countries throughout the Caribbean and Latin America are ordering residents to remain at home in an effort to contain the coronavirus. Here’s a look at what some governments are doing as of March 28, 2020.
Brazil
Health officials in Brazil say coronavirus cases are now reported in all regions of the country. In a recent tweet, Brazil’s president says the country will now utilize the armed forces 24 hours a day to fight the virus. It is pouring more resources into battling coronavirus including an expansion of tests, more laboratories to diagnose COVID-19, and increasing the number of ICU beds. 23 members of Brazilian’s presidential delegation that came to Florida two weeks ago later tested positive for coronavirus. During that trip, Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro dined with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
Cuba
Cuba is enforcing strict measures in an attempt to stop the virus from spreading. According to NBC News reporters in Cuba, the government is banning citizens from leaving the country, schools are closed, tourism is shut down, and local transportation services are no longer running. Large gatherings are banned, and only Cubans abroad and foreign workers living in Cuba can reenter the country.
Haiti
Haiti continues to deal with food shortages amid the coronavirus outbreak. In a recent tweet, Haiti’s president Jovenel Moise says his government is working hard to distribute food to those in need. The country remains under a state of emergency, shuttering schools, churches, and factories. The country’s borders are closed, and a curfew is imposed to prevent the spread of virus. Haiti is one of the 51 countries the United Nations will help through a $2 billion global humanitarian fund.
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Jamaica
Jamaica is urging its citizens to be concerned and to remain prepared about coronavirus. The government is keeping close tabs on those who arrived by plane in mid-to-late March and will make sure they are quarantined. On Twitter, Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the country is trying to strike a balance between economic activity and managing the spread of COVID-19.
Mexico
Mexico’s federal government is suspending all nonessential government activities to try to prevent the spread of the virus. Hospitals, fuel production, electrical power, public sanitation and law enforcement are part of the essential services that won't be suspended. At a recent news conference, Mexico’s president said the country’s public health crisis is not resolved only in hospitals, it is resolved in our homes.
