Latin America named virus epicenter as Trump demands U.S. churches reopen

The World Health Organization declared Latin America "a new epicenter" of the coronavirus pandemic Friday as U.S. President Donald Trump demanded churches reopen despite the ongoing COVID-19 threat.

Surges in infections across much of Central and South America continued to drive the global toll higher even as hard-hit nations in Europe, along with the United States, sought to move into a cautious recovery phase with new infections dipping.

COVID-19 has killed 338,160 people, with more than 5.2 million cases in 196 countries and territories.

Brazil this week become the latest flashpoint as its death toll surged past 21,000, with 330,890 cases. The Latin American giant is now the second most affected country behind the United States, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

Other countries in the region, including Mexico, Chile and Peru, are also struggling to contain major outbreaks.

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