Health & Science

• Friday, March 20th 2020 - 09:50 UTC

  Falklands and Covid 19: no positive cases identified; GCSE exams suspended; limited medevacs

  

  The Falklands weekly Penguin News this week published a summary of releases, decisions, recommendations and overall strategy of the Islands facing, as in the rest of the world the challenge of Covid 19. The big news is that the Falklands until this week, had no positive tested cases of the virus and that so far there is sufficient health care capacity and expertise to face the situation.

• Friday, March 20th 2020 - 09:47 UTC

  Brazil closing all land borders except with Uruguay, and banning entry from EU and Pacific countries

  

  Brazil on Thursday announced it was closing land borders and prohibiting entry to people from European and many Pacific Asian countries to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, as Mexico and Peru reported their first virus deaths.

• Thursday, March 19th 2020 - 08:59 UTC

  Coronavirus: Argentina unveils stimulus package; ample support from the political system to the strategy

  

  Argentina unveiled this week a 700 billion Pesos (some US$10 billion) stimulus package to try to sustain economic activity, avert shortages of food and medical supplies, help companies and protect workers and vulnerable groups affected by the worsening Covid 19 pandemic.

• Thursday, March 19th 2020 - 08:58 UTC

  Coronavirus: Mercosur members coordinate actions and frontier movements

  

  Mercosur country members agreed on Wednesday to share information and statistics on the coronavirus evolution as part of a common strategy destined to combat the pandemic, which included facilitating the return of ex-pats and ensuring the movement of goods among the block.

• Thursday, March 19th 2020 - 08:57 UTC

  Pots and pans protest against Bolsonaro; Brazilian markets crash and Congress approves national emergency

  

  The coronavirus outbreak hammered Brazil on Wednesday, crushing local markets, infecting more members of the country’s political elite and prompting loud protests against President Jair Bolsonaro, whose son waded into a diplomatic spat with China.

• Thursday, March 19th 2020 - 08:47 UTC

  Chile declares a 90-day “state of catastrophe” beginning this Thursday

  

  Chilean President Sebastian Piñera on Wednesday declared a 90-day state of catastrophe as cases of the new coronavirus mounted in the nation, giving the government extraordinary powers to restrict freedom of movement and assure food supply and basic services.

• Thursday, March 19th 2020 - 08:40 UTC

  Brazilian government security advisor, a minister and the head of the Senate, self isolated with coronavirus

  

  Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has so far escaped coronavirus contagion but his national security advisor, his mines and energy minister plus the Senate chief haven't been so lucky.

• Thursday, March 19th 2020 - 08:25 UTC

  Brazil central bank cuts benchmark rate 50 points to a record low of 3.75%

  

  Brazil’s central bank on Wednesday cut its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points to a record-low 3.75% to cushion the economic blow of the coronavirus pandemic but signaled no rush to cut again and emphasized the need for more economic reforms.

• Thursday, March 19th 2020 - 08:23 UTC

  Mnuchin denies potential US unemployment of 20% but considers a US$ 2.000 stimulus check to every American

  

  Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Wednesday vowed that unemployment would not reach 20%, seeking to clarify comments he made a day earlier on a worst-case economic scenario resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.

• Thursday, March 19th 2020 - 08:20 UTC

  Russian economy battered by the oil price war with Saudi Arabia

  

  Russia, hit by falling oil prices and the coronavirus outbreak, has announced the formation of a US$4 billion fund as part of a package of measures to support the economy.