Brazil confirms coronavirus case, the first in Latin America

Brazil has confirmed the first coronavirus case in Latin America and will announce it shortly at a press conference, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter.

A 61-year-old Brazilian who recently traveled to Northern Italy for work tested positive in a preliminary test, the Health Ministry said in a statement late Tuesday evening. A second round of tests have confirmed the diagnosis, said the person, who isn’t authorized to speak publicly ahead of the press conference.

While dozens of people have been tested from Mexico to Brazil with similar symptoms, this marks the first case in Latin America. Vast swathes of the Lombardy and Veneto regions of Italy, stretching from Milan to Venice, remain in a virtual lockdown and the worldwide death toll has climbed to 2,769 with 81,170 confirmed cases.