Page 22 - HOH

A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 27 February 2020
Brazil confirms first coronavirus case in Latin America

By MARCELO DE SOUSA and more than 3,000 masks on
MAURICIO SAVARESE Wednesday.
Associated Press "We are already short and it
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — isn't even the beginning of
Brazil's government con- the afternoon," he said.
firmed on Wednesday that Attendance was light at
a 61-year-old Brazilian man many schools in downtown
who traveled to Italy this Sao Paulo and there were
month has Latin America's few customers in Chinese
first confirmed case of the shops and restaurants.
new coronavirus spreading Sao Paulo's stock ex-
worldwide. change, which had been
"We will now see how this closed since Friday due
virus behaves in a tropi- to the Carnival holiday,
cal country in the middle was down 5% shortly after
of summer, how its behav- 2 p.m., which economist
ior pattern will be," Brazil's André Perfeito attributed
Health Minister Luiz Hen- to "the global outbreak of
rique Mandetta said in a coronavirus, not necessar-
press conference. ily its arrival here." Global
The Brazilian man spent two stock markets had dipped
weeks in northern Italy's sharply while the Brazilian
Lombardy region on a work exchange was closed.
trip, where he contracted Airport employees wear masks as a precaution against the spread of the new coronavirus Four years ago, Latin Amer-
the contagious virus, the COVID-19 as they work at the Sao Paulo International Airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Wednesday, ica's largest country found
Health Ministry said. Feb. 26, 2020. Associated Press itself under the microscope
Authorities had already as the spreading Zika vi-
said Tuesday evening that show symptoms compat- was in stable condition and tion, as are with passengers rus was linked to cases of
a first laboratory test for ible with the illness, such as in isolation at home in Sao from the plane. microcephaly in babies
the COVID-19 virus had a a dry cough, throat pain Paulo. "Our healthcare system has just ahead of the summer
positive result, and were and flu symptoms. Lombar- Brazil's national health already undergone grave Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
waiting for a second test to dy is the epicenter of the agency Anvisa has been respiratory epidemics be- Brazil's response was
confirm it. outbreak in Italy, and there working to map all contact fore," Mandetta said. "We deemed adequate by in-
Since the virus began to have been hundreds of the man had with others, will get through this situa- ternational organizations
spread throughout the confirmed cases there as and on Tuesday requested tion, investing in science, and its public health care
world from China, Brazil well as several deaths. the manifest of the flight he research and clear infor- system handled most cas-
and other countries in the Sao Paulo's Albert Einstein took to investigate other mation." es, though medicine was
region have registered Institute, where the man re- possible cases. Residents of the biggest in short supply in many iso-
dozens of suspected cases, ceived medical attention, The Health Ministry said that city in Latin America were lated areas of the North-
all of which previously had carried out respiratory tests, the man received some beginning to acknowledg- east region. Some foreign
been discarded following and the Adolfo Lutz Institute 30 family members at his ing the risks of an epidemic sports fans and competitors
tests. in the same city carried out home after returning to Sao Thiago Alves, the manager still canceled their plans to
According to the Health the subsequent test con- Paulo on Feb. 21. Those of drugstore in central Sao attend South America's first
Ministry, the man began to firming the virus The man people are under observa- Paulo, said he had sold Olympics. q

Ex-DEA agent, wife, to leave Puerto Rico, face trial in U.S.

By DANICA COTO to Washington. edly ordered DEA staff
Associated Press The couple declined to to wire money slated for
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico speak and left the federal undercover stings to inter-
(AP) — A former anti- courtroom after the hear- national accounts he con-
drug agent and his wife, ing. trolled.
charged with diverting “They are covered by Authorities also accused
money from the Drug En- the presumption of inno- him of sharing sensitive
forcement Administration cence,” defense attorney law enforcement informa-
and aiding Colombian José Novas told The Asso- tion with co-conspirators,
traffickers, on Wednesday ciated Press, declining fur- including a Colombian
agreed to have their case ther comment. public official and an al-
held in the U.S. mainland. The couple were arrested leged drug trafficker and
José Irizarry clasped the in Puerto Rico last week money launderer who is
leg of Nathalia Gómez- and released on $10,000 godfather to the couple’s
Irizarry as the couple sat bond each. They are now children.
quietly in Puerto Rico’s This June 13, 2016 file photo shows Drug Enforcement scheduled to appear in Some of the money alleg-
federal court for an hour Administration (DEA) agents in Florida. court in Florida next month edly was used to buy a
before the hearing, bare- Associated Press in a case whose star wit- $30,000 Tiffany diamond
ly talking. They face a ness is a former DEA infor- ring, a 2017 Lamborghi-
19-count federal indict- proceeds diverted from peatedly won praise from mant. ni Huracan Spyder and
ment in which Irizarry is the DEA. superiors. He resigned in Irizarry is accused of fil- a home in Puerto Rico,
accused of conspiring to He joined the agency January 2018 after being ing false reports starting where the couple had
launder millions in drug in Miami in 2009 and re- transferred from Colombia around 2011 and alleg- been living.q