Peru surpasses 10,000 coronavirus deaths, over 2.9 lakh people infected till now

Peru surpassed 10,000 deaths from the coronavirus on Thursday, the health ministry said, a day after the government began easing a national lockdown in a bid to revive the economy.

The number of deaths rose to 10,045, an increase of 185 in the last 24 hours, while the number of people infected rose to 292,004, the ministry said.

Peru is Latin America's second worst-hit country after Brazil, where according to official figures more than 60,000 people have died from the disease.

Peru's victims include 71 health workers and 153 police officers, according to officials.

Among the latest of Peru's victims was the 63-year-old leader of the Awajun indigenous people, Santiago Manuin, who passed away Wednesday. Manuin was recognised with Spain's Queen Sofia Prize for his crusade in defence of the Amazon and indigenous rights.

During a visit by Pope Francis in 2018, when the pontiff met with Amazon indigenous leaders in Peru's Madre de Dios region, Manuin presented the pope with a traditional feather headdress.