Brasilia, May 24 (RHC)-- Fears are growing Latin America could become the new epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic.  In Brazil, the death toll has topped 20,000 after nearly 1,200 deaths were reported on Thursday. It was the country’s deadliest day to date. 

Mexico also reported over 400 new COVID deaths and nearly 3,000 new coronavirus cases on Thursday — both new single-day records.  Cases are also rapidly rising in Peru and Chile. 

Sixty percent of all new COVID cases are now in South America, Asia and Africa.  India and Indonesia both reported new daily highs of coronavirus cases Thursday.  China has reported a new coronavirus outbreak in the province of Jilin near the border of Russia and North Korea.  And Singapore reported about 450 news cases — nearly all among migrants who live in crowded dormitories built for foreign workers. 

Meanwhile, in the Middle East, the number of cases in Gaza doubled on Thursday, from 20 to 49, raising fears of a new outbreak.

And as the coronavirus spreads across the Global South, a new World Bank report estimates some three billion people still don’t have access to clean water and soap to wash their hands -- one of the most effective ways to prevent transmission of the coronavirus.