Brazil confirms first death from Delta Covid variant

A 42-year-old pregnant woman became Brazil’s first official victim of the Delta coronavirus variant, according to the Health Ministry. The woman had traveled from Japan to the southern Brazilian city of Apuracana, where she died on April 18.

The woman tested negative for Covid-19 before leaving Japan, but began experiencing respiratory problems on April 7, two days after arrival. A subsequent test came back positive for the Delta variant. After undergoing an emergency c-section delivery on April 18, the woman died. 

To avoid importing cases of other variants, the government published a new ordinance restricting the entry of foreigners of any nationality by land and sea. Flights to and from the United Kingdom, India, and South Africa have also been suspended — foreign passengers who have been in any of the three countries 14 days prior to arriving in Brazil will be denied entry.

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