Uruguay rides out COVID threat without imposing a lockdown

by Luján Scarpinelli

Uruguay’s president was recently photographed surfing in the early morning ahead of a cabinet meeting, symbolizing his government’s relief that a policy of “freedom with responsibility” in containing the COVID-19 pandemic is succeeding.

Photos of 47-year-old Luis Lacalle Pou emerging from the South Atlantic in a wetsuit with a board under his arm and a smile on his lips hit the newsstands on Tuesday, as Europe reopened its borders to 15 countries.

The list included only one Latin American country: Uruguay.

With less than 1,000 registered novel coronavirus cases and just 27 deaths, the country of 3.4 million is a notable exception in a region that has become the epicenter of the global health crisis.

Uruguay currently has just 83 active cases, while its giant neighbor Brazil is the world’s worst-hit country after the United States.

This success is especially remarkable as there never was an official lockdown. (AFP)

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