Nicaragua's surprising response to COVID-19

According to the 2019 Social Progress Index (based on multiple indicators showing several social metrics, such as health care and basic medical attention), Nicaragua ranked 103th among 149 countries, with a score of 58.97/100. According to the Ministry of Health’s epidemiological bulletin, acute respiratory infections and pneumonia cases for week 18 of 2020 decreased 15.6 percent and 20.7 percent, respectively, compared to the same week of 2019. [...]the Nicaraguan Medical Union stated that in the country, there are more than 40 cases of COVID-19 infections in medical personnel. [...]the government has restricted actions by nongovernmental and religious groups to provide health support to the population. According to the World Bank’s revised economic forecast for 2020 – including the COVID-19 effects – Nicaragua will face its third consecutive year of economic recession with a 4.3 percent decrease in its GDP, badly hurting an economy that is already significantly weak.