It is not commonly known that some of the Latin American countries prepared in advance for the possible effects and impacts of COVID-19 according to a recently published article out of Mexico.

Different governments around the world are making extra efforts to combat the effect of COVID-19. This includes local and national lockdowns, stay at home policies, closure of non-essential establishments, and more.

However, it is not known to everyone that some Latin American countries are taking extra efforts even before some of them were hit by the infectious and deadly virus..

PREPARATION OF LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES

The number of COVID-19 cases in Latin America remains lower compared to the number of cases in the United States and Europe. At present, there are more than 532, 900 cases of COVID-19 and a death toll of more than 24,000 around the world according to worldometers. These numbers continue to increase day by day.

It is the main reason why Alexandra Hill Tinoco, Minister of Foreign Affairs in El Salvador, said that they are not letting their guard down. She also added that the low number of cases in the region is not a guarantee that they are not going to be hit hard by the deadly and infectious virus. Tinoco also asserted that threats brought by COVID-19 pandemic are taken seriously by every Latin American country.

Costa Rica's ambassador to the United States Fernando Llorca Castro said that most governments in Latin America have prepared since the outbreak of the virus in Wuhan, China that emerged in early January.

According to the recently published article, the following were the preparations of some Latin American countries:

  • When the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, the government in Costa Rica immediately began bringing the concerned institutions from the different sectors regarding the outbreak to have precautionary measures. 
  • Alfonso Silva Navarro, Chilean Ambassador to the United States, said that the Chilean government has set up a committee in January regarding the outbreak of the virus.
  • Hill Tinoco said that El Salvador activated an enlarged health cabinet at the same time. They also came to the point of suspending all flights from China including the entry of travelers from China since the World Health Organization declared health emergency concern caused by COVID-19 on January 30.

ACTIONS OF SOME LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES DURING THE PANDEMIC

Latin American countries have stringent policies that somehow helped them to have lower number of recorded cases for COVID-19. The following two countries shared their stringent policies:

  • Francisco Santos Calderon, Ambassador of Colombia to the United States, said that Colombia has enacted a three-week quarantine in the country when cases of COVID-19 began to escalate. At present, the country has recorded less than four hundred COVID-19 cases and around three deaths. Calderon also added that those who aged 70 or older, who are very susceptible to this virus, will be quarantined until May 30.
  • Silva Navaro from Chile said since 80 percent of their COVID-19 cases are from Santiago, the country's capital, they placed restricted internal movements to other areas of the country to control the spread of COVID-19. 

Moreover, Chile has also increased the number of hospital beds from 37,000 to 42,000. This is to prepare the country once the pandemic becomes worst in Chile. They also opened five new hospitals in the country.

Meanwhile, Costa Rica has recorded over 130 cases as of March 23 and the number of their cases is lower compared to other countries. However, they have been constructing a hospital intended for the COVID-19 cases. 

This just shows how intelligent and advance government leaders in Latin America to effectively combat COVID-19. If the strategies of these leaders will be emulated by other countries, definitely the world can flatten the curve and reduce the effect of the global health pandemic. 

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