FILE PHOTO: A view shows an almost empty main street in a wealthy neighborhood during a general quarantine imposed due to a surge of fresh coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, in Santiago, Chile May 18, 2020. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado
SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Chile has surpassed 100,000 cases of the coronavirus, the health minister said on Monday, as infections have spiraled in the capital Santiago, putting the South American nation´s healthcare system under “extraordinary” strain.
The health ministry said total cases since the outbreak began in early March had hit 105,159 while 1,113 people had died from the disease.
The Americas have emerged as the new epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, with infections and deaths in May related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, surging in Chile, Peru and Brazil.
Reporting by Dave Sherwood; editing by Jonathan Oatis