By Reuters staff
(Reuters) – The coronavirus tally surpassed the 8 million mark on Thursday in Latin America, the region with the most infections in the world, although there were signs that the virus was spreading more slowly in some countries.
Over the past week, the daily average of cases in the region fell to 67,173 as of Wednesday from 80,512 in the previous seven days, according to a Reuters tally based on figures released by governments.
Brazil, which experienced the worst outbreak in the region, remained at the top of the Latin American tables for coronavirus cases and deaths, registering a total of 4.2 million infections and more than 128,000 deaths.
Even so, Brazilian officials noted a decrease in infections in recent days. On Thursday, Brazil reported 40,557 new infections.
The average number of cases also decreased slightly in Peru, Colombia, and Mexico, the countries with the most infections after Brazil.
Mexico reported 4,857 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 554 additional deaths on Thursday, bringing its total to 652,364 infections and 69,649 deaths.
More than 900,000 people have died worldwide from the coronavirus, with the United States, Brazil, India, and Mexico recording the highest number of deaths.
Many Latin American leaders are grappling with how to minimize the economic impact of the pandemic, which has triggered the biggest financial recessions in living memory in many countries.
The region's tourism sector alone is expected to lose about $230 billion this year, hit by border closures and a sharp drop in global travel.
Report by Daniela Desantis; Additional reporting by Sharay Angulo; Written by Drazen Jorgic; Edited by David Gregorio and Peter Cooney