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

[Judi Lynn]

2. Guatemala calls US 'Wuhan of Americas' in battle over deportees

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