The Health Ministry mandated that cruises be canceled. It advised local authorities to scrap large-scale events. And it urged travelers arriving from abroad to go into isolation for a week. Although Brazil had yet to report a single death from COVID-19, public health officials appeared to be getting out in front of the virus. They acted on March 13, just two days after the World Health Organization called the disease a pandemic.
The mayor of Brazil's largest city, São Paulo, has said its health system could collapse as demand grows for emergency beds to deal with coronavirus cases.
Brazil is facing “economic collapse” because of the lockdown measures, the country’s economy minister has warned.
A 19-year-old pregnant woman from Guatemala died from injuries suffered after falling from the US-Mexico border wall, officials said on Thursday.
A military plane with 38 people on board has disappeared en route to Antarctica, Chile's air force says.
At least five people are reported to have been killed in Bolivia in clashes between supporters of former President Evo Morales and security forces.
Evo Morales has accepted an offer of political asylum in Mexico a day after resigning as president of Bolivia amid election fraud protests.
Bolivian President Evo Morales has resigned amid turmoil following his disputed re-election last month.
Chilean President Sebastián Piñera has announced reforms aimed at ending days of violent protests.
Five people died after looters torched a garment factory near Chile's capital Santiago, bringing the death toll in violent protests to at least seven.
Russia's unmanned Luna-25 spacecraft has crashed into the Moon after spinning out of control, officials say.
Donald Trump has confirmed that he will not take part in Republican presidential debates with his rivals in the race for the White House.