Peru Virus Outbreak Seen Peaking After Hitting New Daily Record

(Bloomberg) -- Peru’s coronavirus outbreak is peaking after setting a daily record of 4,200 new cases, President Martin Vizcarra said.

Vizcarra said studies by the government and independent researchers in Peru and overseas suggest the spread of the killer virus will start to slow, after infecting more than 76,000, the most in Latin America after Brazil.

“Peru has already reached the top, the peak, and is starting a slow decline,” he said at a televised event in Lima.

The country has struggled to slow the spread of the virus even after implementing some of the region’s most drastic containment measures more than eight weeks ago, bringing about two-thirds of the economic activity to a halt.

The fresh food markets where most Peruvians do their shopping are the main reason for the virus’s rapid spread, according to the government. Almost 80% of sellers at Lima’s main fruit market tested positive for the virus Wednesday. Vizcarra said the government is taking steps to raise hygiene standards and reduce crowds at the markets, which number more than 2,000 nationwide.

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