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Patients Airlifted as COVID Cases Surge in Brazil's Amazon

VOA News

   Thenovelcoronavirus is spreading so rapidly among indigenous people in
   the outskirts of Brazil's Amazon that doctors are nowevacuating
   criticalCOVID-19 patients by plane.

   Doctor Daniel SiqueirasaidMondaytwoplanes are going out daily, one for
   normal patientsand the other for COVID patients. He said airlifts
   forCOVIDpatients account for 60% oftheremovals.

   Brazil's Indigenous Peoples' Articulation (APIB), the country's main
   tribalorganization, saidthe vast majority of the 540COVID-19 cases
   among dozens of tribes has hit the Manaus area the hardest.

   The mayor of Manaus, Arthur Virgilio Neto, said because much of the
   interior Amazon is underdeveloped, people in those areas are trying to
   get to Manaus.Hesaid heexpects there will be a new wave of crowded
   hospitals and fightsfor vacancies.

   The Brazilian government's indigenous health service,Sesai,reported on
   Mondayat least23 indigenous people have died from COVID-19.

   The victims were inaremote area of the Amazon river bordering Colombia
   and Peru.

   Brazil has confirmed255-thousandCOVIDcases and 16,856 deaths.

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