More than 1.5 million COVID-19 cases have been identified in Latin America, a region now threatened by a food crisis, while global markets plunged Thursday anticipating a long road to economic recovery.

The World Health Organization also warned the pandemic was accelerating in Africa.

Brazil on Thursday passed two grim milestones: 40,000 COVID-19 deaths and some 800,000 coronavirus cases.

In the wider Latin America region the death toll has 70,000 deaths.

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