An interesting article about what is going on in South America:


Covid Ravaged South America. Then Came a Sharp Drop in Infections. - The New York Times

Suddenly, the region that had been the epicenter of the pandemic is breathing a sigh of relief.

New infections have fallen sharply in nearly every nation in South America as vaccination rates have ramped up. The reprieve has been so sharp and fast, even as the Delta variant wreaks havoc elsewhere in the world, that experts can’t quite explain it.

Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Uruguay and Paraguay experienced dramatic surges of cases in the first months of the year, just as vaccines started to arrive in the region. Containment measures were uneven and largely lax because governments were desperate to jump-start languishing economies.

“Now the situation has cooled across South America,” said Carla Domingues, an epidemiologist who ran Brazil’s immunization program until 2019. “It’s a phenomenon we don’t know how to explain.”

There have been no new sweeping or large-scale containment measures in the region, although some countries have imposed strict border controls. A major factor in the recent drop in cases, experts say, is the speed with which the region ultimately managed to vaccinate people. Governments in South America have generally not faced the kind of apathy, politicization and conspiracy theories around vaccines that left much of the United States vulnerable to the highly contagious Delta variant.

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Well, we didn't get to dine out. We left the house too late and by the time we got to the restaurant we wanted to visit, all outdoor seating was full or reserved. Pretty much every place in town was the same way. I guess everyone had the same idea after being cooped up for so long. Then, we couldn't get public transit back. We ended up walking home and not one bus or shared taxi passed us the whole way!

We will try again earlier next Saturday.