Brasilia, April 6 (RHC)-- Brazil, Chile and Ecuador are currently reporting the highest number of COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in the entire Latin America region, the latest reports revealed on Sunday.

According to data from the Brazilian Ministry of Health, the death toll from coronavirus increased to 432, with 73 deaths reported in the last 24 hours.  The figure of 73 deaths is the highest for a single day since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Brazil.  According to the report of the Brazilian Government, the number of infected passed from 9,056 to 10,278 in a single day.

The Brazilian region most affected by the pandemic is the state of Sao Paulo, the richest and most populated in the country, with 4,466 cases and 260 deaths.

In Chile, the number increased this Saturday to 4,161 confirmed cases, with 27 deaths from the pandemic across the country, according to the Ministry of Health.  The Chilean undersecretary of Health, Paula Daza, reported that until 21:00 local time on Friday, 424 new cases of coronavirus and five deaths were registered.

In Ecuador, the Ministry of Public Health raised the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 to 3,465 this Saturday and 172 deaths.  The deputy minister of Health of the South American country, Ernesto Carrasco, noted that in the last 24 hours 97 new cases and 27 new deaths were reported, as well as 4,475 suspected cases.  Carrasco affirmed that of the total of confirmed cases in Ecuador, 2,402, are concentrated in the province of Guayas (southwest), the area most affected by the virus in Ecuador.

Health authorities in Argentina confirmed 1,451 positive cases and 43 deaths from COVID-19 over the weekend.  The Ministry of Health confirmed on Saturday night 98 new cases of the disease, and the death of a 73-year-old man residing in the province of Buenos Aires.