Copa America cases of COVID-19 rises to 65

CONMEBOL says cases of people with COVID-19 at the Copa America in Brazil have risen to 65.

Nineteen people are on the 10 tournament teams, and 46 are staffers and officials, the South American soccer body said on Thursday. There have been 5,458 tests so far.

The total number of known infections was up from 53 on Wednesday.

Brazil stepped in late as an emergency host despite the country having the second highest number of recorded deaths from the coronavirus in the world, more than 493,000.

Also on Thursday, the Bolivian Football Association said two players tested positive, defender Oscar Ribera and forward Jaume Cuéllar.

Bolivian striker Marcelo Martins, who used his Instagram account to criticize CONMEBOL for the COVID-19 cases, backtracked in a statement.

"Regrettably my concern for my situation contracting COVID-19, which stopped me from playing with my beloved national team at their first match at Copa America... was incorrectly interpreted by those who manage my public communications," Martins wrote.

Chile's team also said one of its members was diagnosed with the virus, was without symptoms, and isolated, but did not provide more details.

Half of the teams playing the Copa America have reported COVID-19 cases; Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Chile.