NASSAU, BAHAMAS — With COVID-19 infection spiking across the Americas, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Carissa Etienne applauded countries for tightening public health measures.
During PAHO’s weekly press briefing, Etienne noted that since the beginning of 2021, several countries in the region are reporting an increase in cases in the younger population, linked to increased exposure and no vaccination in these groups.
She highlighted the spike of cases in The Bahamas as she pointed to the surge across the Caribbean, Central and South America.
“It’s no surprise then that many countries in our region have tightened public health measures by extending curfews, limiting re-openings, and imposing new stay-at-home orders,” Etienne said.
“Of course, these decisions are never easy, but based on how infections are surging, this is exactly what needs to happen.
“We know these measures work and I commend leaders across our region for putting health first.”
Despite the recent surge in COVID-19 cases and reports of large gatherings, Health Minister Renward Wells has highlighted a need for more enforcement instead of restrictions.
Wells was responding to concerns of more and more events being held amid the third coronavirus wave in the country.
Asked whether the government is minded to implement additional restrictions to curb the spread of the virus, the health minister said: “I don’t know if it calls for more restrictions; it just calls for more enforcement.”
The Bahamas recorded 336 cases in January and 335 cases in February.
Cases nearly doubled in March with 613 cases.
This month, there have been nearly 1,000 cases.
As of Tuesday, there were 10, 349 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country.
Wells has insisted that the government is committed to its current course of action, which is vaccinating as many Bahamians who want to be.
To date, more than 25,600 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine have been administered on New Providence, Grand Bahama, Eleuthera and Abaco.
The country received 33,600 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the World Health Organization (WHO)/Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) COVAX Facility, and it received 20,000 doses as a donation from India.
The COVAX Facility is expected to deliver another 33,000 doses by the end of May.
Etienne yesterday assured that in the next few weeks, countries should receive their second COVAX shipments and while doses remain limited, most countries should see a considerable increase in doses from the first wave.
“Based on the allocation criteria established by the COVAX Facility, nine countries in our region are starting the second deployment, to be followed by others in the same sequence as for the first deployment,” she said.
“Nearly seven million COVID vaccines will be arriving in these countries between May-June.”
