Chile increases its estimate of cases and deaths from coronavirus

Chile on June 20 increased its estimates of the number of cases and deaths in the country after a labour union confirmed another death of an employee at state-owned Codelco due to coronavirus. According to reports, the labour union has said that a second employee of Codelco has died due to coronavirus. Codelco is a state-owned world's largest copper producer. Chilean government on Saturday increased the number of deaths due to the disease from just over 4,000 to more than 7,000 now. Earlier this month the labour union had confirmed the death of a mine worker at Chuquicamata copper mine linked to Codelco. 

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"As part of the measures to face the Covid-19 health emergency that affects the country and particularly the Antofagasta Region, Codelco finds it necessary to halt the construction of all its projects in the area and operate the Chuquicamata Division only with Calama workers. The demobilization will begin to be implemented immediately or to the extent that the current shifts end, and will allow the decrease in displacement from other regions and the reduction of the density of the own staff and those of collaborators," the company said in a statement released on its website on June 20. 

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COVID-19 in Chile

In Chile, 2,50,919 cases of COVID-19 have occurred (2,31,393 with laboratory confirmation and probable 19,526, without laboratory confirmation) until June 18, according to the country's health ministry. The first case in Chile was reported on March 3 and since then the numbers have steadily increased in the Latin American country. The state of catastrophe in Chile has been extended for another 90 days to control the spread of the virus. 

Read: Chile Renews State Of Catastrophe For 90 More Days Amid COVID-19 Crisis

Read: Chile Reports Reduction In New COVID Numbers