Dual pressure

Fernando Ferry, an infectious diseases expert in Brazil, said China's strict quarantine and containment measures, in particular, should be adopted in Latin America before the pandemic escalates.

"COVID-19 is a disease with a high rate of transmission ... so we either follow the Chinese model of containment or see many more victims," he said.

Wang, from the China Institute of International Studies, said Latin American countries are facing the dual pressure of fighting the virus and reviving their economies.

"On the one hand, the region needs to strengthen its health systems to cope with the crisis. On the other, economic and social measures are needed to mitigate the enormous negative consequences of isolation," Wang said.

"This is not just a test for governments in Latin America, but a test for the rest of the world. It will be a test of whether governments can continue to deal with other countries in a multilateral and humanitarian manner, maintain global economic stability and jointly combat the epidemic under the impact of the economic downturn."

Xinhua and Agencies contributed to this story.