Latin America now has world's highest coronavirus death toll

Cemetery workers move the coffin of a man, who died of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), during his funeral at the San Nicolas Tolentino cemetery, as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak continues, in the Iztapalapa neighbourhood in Mexico City, Mexico, August 4, 2020. REUTERS/Henry Romero

Latin America surpassed Europe on Tuesday to become the region with the highest coronavirus death toll worldwide, according to a Reuters tally.

The region has now recorded more than 206,000 deaths, approximately 30% of the global total.

Brazil, the Latin American country most affected by the novel coronavirus, has now recorded a total of 95,819 deaths as of Tuesday. Mexico, the second-most affected country in the region, has 48,869 deaths.

A worker in a protective suit sprays to disinfect the Amazonas Theatre ahead of its reopening after the Amazonas state government eased isolation measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Manaus, Brazil, August 2, 2020. REUTERS/Bruno Kelly

The spread of the pandemic has also accelerated in Colombia, Peru, Argentina and Bolivia.

Last week Latin America became the most-affected region by the number of cases. On Monday, its number of infections surpassed 5 million, according to a Reuters tally based on government data.

The number of cases increased after authorities relaxed lockdown measures in order to stimulate economic growth.

FILE PHOTO: Patients suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at a field hospital set up to treat patients suffering from the disease (COVID-19) in Guarulhos, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, May 12, 2020.REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli

The virus has infected more than 18.4 million people worldwide. The global death toll is 698,000.

(Reporting by Daniela Desantis; Writing by Laura Gottesdiener; Editing by Tom Hogue)