Guatemala official: 44 deportees tested positive for virus

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Forty-four Guatemalans deported on one flight from the United States this week have tested positive for COVID-19, a Guatemalan government official with knowledge of the situation said Thursday, amid rising rejection of deportees due to virus fears.

Later, Guatemala Foreign Affairs Minister Pedro Brolo told The Associated Press the government had again suspended deportation flights. He did not explain why, but said the move was temporary.

"We're working on the details," Brolo said, adding that he did not know when the flights would resume.

The flight with the infected deportees arrived in Guatemala’s capital Monday carrying 76 Guatemalans. Three deportees displaying coronavirus symptoms were immediately taken for testing. When one of those tests came back positive others who had been quarantined at the airport were tested and 43 more resulted positive, said the official who had not been authorized to share the information publicly and requested anonymity.

Presidential spokesman Carlos Sandoval said the official total number of infected deportees remained at five.

“We’re going to check with the Health Ministry,” he said. “For the moment I can only confirm the cases the (president) has said. I wouldn’t know what to say, I can’t even say no, but I also can’t confirm it.” He said he would have an official statement later.

There was confusion over where Monday's flight originated.

On Monday, Alejandra Mena, a spokeswoman for Guatemala’s National Immigration Institute, told reporters two flights of deportees had arrived. Initially, she said they came from Alexandria, Louisiana and El Paso, Texas, then immediately corrected herself to say they came from Brownsville, Texas and El Paso. She reconfirmed that information Thursday, saying that is what the agency has officially...