Fear has gripped South America after Brazil confirmed its first coronavirus case on Wednesday, according to SIA.
The victim is a 61-year-old Brazilian man who contracted the virus on a recent trip to Lombardy, Italy -- which has been hit hard by the coronavirus. Governments have increased security measures at the points of entry anticipating a potential outbreak.
Carissa Etienne, director of the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) recommended Wednesday that countries intensify their preparation plans to deal with COVID-19, the official name of the virus. Brazil's Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta confirmed the first case during the annual Rio Carnival, which attracts a steady flow of tourists.
Mandetta said authorities are trying to identify people who have been in contact with the patient, who is currently in quarantine. Health Ministry official Wanderson Kleber de Oliveira said 20 more cases are being investigated, of whom 12 had traveled to Italy and one to China.
Just a few days earlier, a group of 58 nationals who returned home from Wuhan, China, where the outbreak began, were released from a 14-day quarantine at a Brazilian airbase after testing negative for the coronavirus.
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