South America’s Covid success story sees cases rise

The least-populated country in South America, Uruguay has become a reference in how to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. By mid-November, the country had recorded only 5,117 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 74 deaths, giving it the smallest per capita rate of deaths anywhere in South America or Europe.

But this success is now being put in check. Despite recording days in the middle of the year with no new Covid-19 cases to speak of, Uruguay is now experiencing a peak. In the last two weeks, new coronavirus infections have regularly surpassed 100 on a daily basis.

The total number of cases now stands at 6,024, and health authorities fear the peak will continue. So, what explains this recent uptick in cases in a country that was, until recently, only minimally affected by the pandemic?

President Luis Lacalle Pou suggests that the issue was Uruguay’s potentially premature reopening process, with the country moving toward normality much faster than its continental neighbors. Relying on its low population density, accessible health service, and political consensus over...