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Judi Lynn

(160,213 posts)
Wed Apr 15, 2020, 03:55 PM Apr 2020

Trump Accused of 'Actively and Knowingly' Spreading Coronavirus to Central America Through Deportati

Published on
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
by Common Dreams

Trump seen as "global health threat" as Guatemalan health minister claims 75% of people on a recent deportation flight from the U.S. tested positive for the virus.

by Julia Conley, staff writer

Days after the Trump administration threatened Central American countries with visa sanctions if they refuse to accept nationals who are deported from the U.S. during the coronavirus pandemic, the Guatemalan health minister said an estimated 75% of the people on one deportation flight from the U.S. later tested positive for the virus.

Health Minister Hugo Monroy's claim raised fears that the U.S. is willfully sending sick people back to the countries they left, creating conditions for larger outbreaks in countries including Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.

The U.S., which is now the epicenter of the global pandemic with more than 600,000 cases, resumed deportations on Monday after a week-long pause due to fears that ill migrants might spread the coronavirus to others on deportation flights. The Trump administration sent two flights with a total of 182 people to Guatemala Monday.

Before the flights resumed, the Guatemalan government reported that at least three nationals deported from the U.S. later tested positive for the highly infectious disease. A total of 180 cases have been reported in the country, and at least five people have died. Monroy said he could not give a specific number of positive cases on the recent flight for security reasons.

More:
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/15/trump-accused-actively-and-knowingly-spreading-coronavirus-central-america-through

Also posted in LBN:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142471338

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Trump Accused of 'Actively and Knowingly' Spreading Coronavirus to Central America Through Deportati (Original Post) Judi Lynn Apr 2020 OP
Guatemala: US deportations driving up country's coronavirus cases Judi Lynn Apr 2020 #1
Guatemala calls US 'Wuhan of Americas' in battle over deportees Judi Lynn Apr 2020 #2
Guatemala calls US 'Wuhan of Americas' in battle over deportees Judi Lynn Apr 2020 #3

Judi Lynn

(160,213 posts)
1. Guatemala: US deportations driving up country's coronavirus cases
Wed Apr 15, 2020, 04:55 PM
Apr 2020

Guatemala's health minister says on one flight, 75 percent of the deportees had tested positive for coronavirus.

2 hours ago

Guatemala's health minister said on Tuesday that deportees from the United States were driving up the country's COVID-19 caseload, adding that on one flight some 75 percent of the deportees tested positive for the coronavirus.

Health Minister Hugo Monroy's comments were dramatically out of line with what the government had previously said about infected deportees. Later, presidential spokesman Carlos Sandoval told reporters that Monroy was referring to a March flight on which "between 50 percent and 75 percent [of the passengers] during all their time in isolation and quarantine have come back positive."

. . .

"There are really flights where the deportees arrive ... citizens who come with fever, and they get on the planes that way," Monroy said. "We automatically evaluate them here and test them and many of them have come back positive."

He added that the US had practically become the Wuhan of the region, referring to the province in China where the pandemic began.

More:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/guatemala-deportations-driving-country-coronavirus-cases-200415161233540.html

Judi Lynn

(160,213 posts)
2. Guatemala calls US 'Wuhan of Americas' in battle over deportees
Wed Apr 15, 2020, 05:02 PM
Apr 2020

The country’s health minister says deportation flights are driving up coronavirus cases after a flight had 75% test positive

Staff and agencies in Guatemala City

Wed 15 Apr 2020 14.04 EDT

US deportation flights to Guatemala are driving up the country’s Covid-19 caseload, according to the country’s health minister, who said that on one flight about 75% of the deportees tested positive for the virus.

Hugo Monroy said that the United States had become the “Wuhan of the Americas” referring to the Chinese province where the pandemic began.

“We must not stigmatize, but I have to speak clearly. The arrival of deportees who have tested positive has really increased the number of [coronavirus] cases,” he said on Tuesday.

“There are really flights where the deportees arrive … with fever – and they get on the planes that way,” said Monroy on Tuesday. “We automatically evaluate them here and test them and many of them have come back positive.”

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/15/us-deportation-flights-guatemala-coronavirus

Judi Lynn

(160,213 posts)
3. Guatemala calls US 'Wuhan of Americas' in battle over deportees
Wed Apr 15, 2020, 05:03 PM
Apr 2020

The country’s health minister says deportation flights are driving up coronavirus cases after a flight had 75% test positive

Staff and agencies in Guatemala City

Wed 15 Apr 2020 14.04 EDT

US deportation flights to Guatemala are driving up the country’s Covid-19 caseload, according to the country’s health minister, who said that on one flight about 75% of the deportees tested positive for the virus.

Hugo Monroy said that the United States had become the “Wuhan of the Americas” referring to the Chinese province where the pandemic began.

“We must not stigmatize, but I have to speak clearly. The arrival of deportees who have tested positive has really increased the number of [coronavirus] cases,” he said on Tuesday.

“There are really flights where the deportees arrive … with fever – and they get on the planes that way,” said Monroy on Tuesday. “We automatically evaluate them here and test them and many of them have come back positive.”

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/15/us-deportation-flights-guatemala-coronavirus
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