Chile troops help cook food in poor neighborhoods

Members of the Chilean army helped distribute hot meals and disinfect public spaces in the outskirts of Santiago on Tuesday. Military personnel set up three field kitchens on the streets of the Maipu commune and prepared a traditional Chilean dish - beans with 'rein', a soup made of beans and spaghetti.

Local government workers joined them in handing out the food to residents as part of an aid program amid the strains of the coronavirus pandemic, particularly for poor communities.

Maipu City Hall representative Jorge Maureira said spraying disinfectant in common areas would help lower the "viral load" in the area.

Chile is among the countries in the world with the highest number of infections per million people, most concentrated in Greater Santiago, where 45% of its 18 million inhabitants live.

Despite months of lockdown, the country reported a further 5,000 cases on Tuesday, taking the national toll of infections beyond 180,000.