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WHO Raises Alarm Over Virus Spread in Brazil, Mexico

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Volunteers hold hands in prayer before they begin a disinfection operation to help contain the spread of the new coronavirus at the Santa Marta slum, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 28, 2020.
Volunteers hold hands in prayer before they begin a disinfection operation to help contain the spread of the new coronavirus at the Santa Marta slum, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 28, 2020.

The World Health Organization says it is very worried about the rapidly growing surge of coronavirus cases in Brazil and Mexico.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters at his regular briefing in Geneva on Monday, “I think Brazil has to be very, very serious," in combating the surge there. He echoed the same concern for Mexico, which he said was in “bad shape.”

"The number of cases doubled, and the number of deaths doubled. ... We would like to ask Mexico to be very serious," he said.

Mexico’s cumulative COVID-19 death toll passed 100,000 on November 20, and the country has added more than 5.000 deaths since then.

Dressed in protective gear to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, a medical worker attends to a patient at a military hospital set up to take care of COVID-19 patients in Mexico City, November 30, 2020.
Dressed in protective gear to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, a medical worker attends to a patient at a military hospital set up to take care of COVID-19 patients in Mexico City, November 30, 2020.

Brazil has recorded more than 172,000 deaths from COVID-19, second only to the United States, which has reported more than 267,000 deaths.

On Monday, Brazil’s most populous state, Sao Paulo, ordered shops, bars and restaurants to limit themselves to 40% capacity to try to control the spread of the pathogen.

Meanwhile, drugmaker Moderna said Monday it has applied for emergency authorization in the U.S. and is seeking the same approval in Europe to distribute its coronavirus vaccine after tests showed it is 94% effective.

The request comes shortly after another drug company, Pfizer-BioNTech, sought the same emergency authorization. If granted, inoculations in the U.S. could begin as soon as mid-December.

The Moderna and Pfizer requests for emergency use of their vaccines come as the number of coronavirus cases is surging in the U.S., where tens of thousands of new cases are being recorded daily.

Also Monday, U.S. media reported that Scott Atlas has resigned as a special health adviser to President Donald Trump, after he clashed repeatedly with other members of the coronavirus task force.

Atlas has been criticized by public health experts, including Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, for giving incorrect information on the pandemic.

FILE - Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing in Washington, June 30, 2020.
FILE - Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing in Washington, June 30, 2020.

Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned Sunday of a possible further spike of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, in the United States.

Speaking on the Sunday morning program “This Week,” Fauci, said the infection rate would not “all of a sudden turn around.”

He said in the coming weeks following the recent Thanksgiving holiday, “We may see a surge upon a surge.”

U.S. health officials say nearly 1.2 million people passed through U.S. airports on Sunday after traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday, despite pleas from health experts to stay home for the holiday.

Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic arrives on the second day of a EU summit, in Brussels, on October 16, 2020.
Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic arrives on the second day of a EU summit, in Brussels, on October 16, 2020.

In Europe, Croatia’s Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic tested positive for the coronavirus. A government spokesman said he is feeling fine and will continue to perform his duties from his home.

Turkey’s president announced curfews during weeknights and for the entire weekend to limit daily infections that have spiked to around 30,000. Grocery stores and food delivery services will be exempt from most of the lockdown hours, officials said.

France recorded 4,005 new COVID-19 infections on Monday, the fewest since August. However, health officials reported that a downward trend in hospitalizations was starting to level off.

In England, COVID-19 infections have fallen by 30% during a monthlong national lockdown, according to results from a large-scale study of more than 100,000 volunteers. The study by Imperial College London and Ipsos MORI comes just days before England is set to end its national lockdown on Wednesday.

In Europe, some countries are hoping for a continent-wide agreement to shut down ski resorts during the Christmas holidays to help prevent spreading the coronavirus. No unified pact, however, has yet been reached.

The WHO urged nations Monday to carefully consider the ski season’s risks. It said while the risk of catching the coronavirus is low on the slopes, crowded airports and restaurants could help spread the virus. The agency urged nations to take a "risk-based approach" on which activities to allow.

The global agency also warned Monday that malaria deaths will likely exceed COVID-19 deaths in Africa because of the health care disruptions caused by the pandemic.

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