MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, May 4th 2024 - 09:38 UTC

Stories for 2021

  • Wednesday, March 24th 2021 - 09:17 UTC

    Paraguay's Health Minister: total quarantine imminent

    “The idea is to discuss it with the president, but I think ... probably by Saturday, we will have news,” said Borba

    Paraguay's Health Minister Julio Borba Tuesday said a total quarantine was likely to be imposed nationwide starting this coming weekend as covid-19 cases are on the rise.

  • Wednesday, March 24th 2021 - 09:14 UTC

    Áñez denounces human rights violations against her while in jail

    “I will be here for as long as my body can hold me”, wrote Áñez from her prison cell.

    Former Bolivian interim President Jeanine Áñez handwrote a letter saying she was being tortured and abused while under arrest. “My first words to the Bolivian people from the prison of the dictatorship,” (of President Luis Arce) she said in a message that was widely spread through social media on Tuesday.

  • Tuesday, March 23rd 2021 - 19:38 UTC

    £5k fine for holidaying abroad under new UK Covid-19 rules

    Valid reasons for foreign travel currently include work, volunteering, education, medical needs, and weddings or funerals.

    UK residents travelling abroad without a valid reason may face up to £5,000 fines under new legislation set to be passed by the British parliament this week. The move comes as a new wave of Covid-19 cases begins to take hold in European countries, including Germany and France.

  • Tuesday, March 23rd 2021 - 17:02 UTC

    Fresh lockdown for 13 million Chileans despite vaccine success

    The Chilean government has announced a new series of confinement measures for some 70% of the country’s population following a 36% hike in Covid cases over the last two weeks.

  • Tuesday, March 23rd 2021 - 16:56 UTC

    Covid kits contributed to deaths in Brazil

    A “covid kit” touted by Jair Bolsonaro as an effective early treatment against Covid may have resulted in an increased number of deaths in seriously ill covid patients, according to reports in BBC Brasil today.

  • Tuesday, March 23rd 2021 - 10:42 UTC

    Uruguayan government to debate measures amid record Covid-19 cases and political pressures

    President Luis Lacalle Pou called this Tuesday to an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers to evaluate new measures to stop the exponential growth of coronavirus cases

    The Uruguayan government will discuss this Tuesday a radical reduction of mobility in the midst of a new wave of Covid-19 cases. This Monday, the highest number of new cases was detected, with almost 2,700 confirmed cases and a positivity rate of 18%, and the community spread of the Brazillian P-1 variant of the virus was confirmed.

  • Tuesday, March 23rd 2021 - 09:49 UTC

    Andy Keeling: New Chief Executive to arrive in the Falklands next week

    “Anya and I are really looking forward to starting our new life in the Falklands Islands and we hope to be full and active members of the community,” Mr. Keeling said.

    Andy Keeling, the new Chief Executive for the Falkland Islands Government is due to arrive in the Islands next week to start the transition of power following a month-long handover with current Chief Executive Barry Rowland. Mr. Keeling will undertake two weeks of quarantine before start working with Mr. Rowland, the Falkland Islands Government announced on Monday.

  • Monday, March 22nd 2021 - 13:44 UTC

    Covid-19: Health situation in Uruguay worsens amid successful vaccination campaign

    The National Academy of Medicine warned that Uruguay “is heading towards an epidemiological situation without control” (Photo: Sebastián Astorga)

    Although a few weeks ago we talked about Uruguay as a milestone in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, with very few daily cases and a lower mortality rate than any other country in the region, the country of 3.5 million inhabitants surpassed this Sunday the 13 thousand active cases after several record days of daily positives. Scientific and medical societies are demanding measures to stop the spread of the virus despite the fact that 1 out of 10 Uruguayans have already received the first dose of the vaccine – Pfizer or Coronavac – against the disease.

  • Sunday, March 21st 2021 - 20:32 UTC

    Quarantined Cinema: Top 10 Movies of 2020

    Brazilian Bacurau won Jury Prize at 2019 Cannes Film Festival and was released in 2020. (Vitrine Filmes)

    By Nicolás Medina (*) – Talking about the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic would be a bit too repetitive at this point, apart from being quite depressing if we want to talk about entertainment. And if we talk about entertainment, we can assure that the film industry was one of the most affected by the consequences of the virus worldwide.

  • Saturday, March 20th 2021 - 09:17 UTC

    Venezuelans agree to purchase US$ 30 million in Covax vaccines; Guaidó will ask US for funds to be unfrozen

    “This is the best opportunity we have so far to stop the virus,” said Juan Guaido, president of the opposition-led National Assembly

    As part of a rare deal between Venezuela’s government and the opposition, some US$ 30.3 million of the country’s offshore funds that were frozen under U.S. sanctions will be used to pay for coronavirus vaccines.