Experts in Paraguay demand Brazil border closures due to advance of Manaus coronavirus variant

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Alarmed by the collapse in Brazil, the Paraguayan Society of Infectious Diseases expressed its concern regarding Paraguay’s free transit to Brazil. The fact is that Paraguay started yesterday a new strict quarantine that will last during Holy Week until Sunday, April 4, but did not close the border.

In a communiqué, the infectologists maintain that Brazil is the current epicenter of the pandemic, concentrates 25% of all deaths due to Covid-19 in the world, and can originate new, more contagious, and lethal variants, which are resistant to natural immunity or vaccines. Therefore, they consider it “total nonsense” and “negligent” to keep the border with Brazil open and demand the temporary closure of all border crossings with the neighboring country.

“With great concern, we see how the predictions of international organizations such as the IHME (Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation) on the number of deaths are being fulfilled with almost mathematical precision and without signs that allow us any degree of optimism”, states the document.

The Director of Migration, Ángeles Arriola, explained that they decided to keep the borders open on the General Directorate of Health Surveillance’s recommendation, headed by Dr. Guillermo Sequera.

The epidemiologist advisor to the Government warned that closing the crossing would not change the Brazilian variant’s circulation. However, the Paraguayan Society of Infectious Diseases rejected the analysis. For the Association of experts, the authorities should rectify immediately and close all crossings.

Source: infobae