Director warns against “complacency” and reinforces calls for public health measures, surveillance and increased access to vaccines
WASHINGTON, DC — New COVID-19 cases spiked in Central America, the Caribbean and some South America countries last week, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Carissa F Etienne reported yesterday.
“Cases rise when complacency sets in,” she warned during a press briefing. “We are all tired, but after experiencing successive peaks of infections in the same locations, we must break this cycle by embracing public health measures early and consistently.”
Cases are increasing in Central American countries, including El Salvador and Guatemala, where COVID deaths have also surged. New infections are spiking in the Caribbean, where Cuba has reported the highest number of weekly cases since the start of the pandemic. In the British Virgin Islands, cases have tripled in the weeks after reopening to cruise ships. In Mexico and the United States, infections are rising.
But creating a “mixed picture” of the virus’s trajectory, new COVID-19 infections declined overall by nearly 20 percent in the Americas last week as the pandemic eased in much of South America.
“COVID infections, hospitalizations and deaths are dropping across most of the continent, including in Brazil, Peru, Uruguay and Chile,” Etienne said.
She added, however, that cases are rising in Argentina and reaching their highest levels in Colombia, “raising concerns about the health system’s ability to cope as 98 perent of ICU beds are already in use”.
“When variants of concern circulate,” Etienne said, “it’s even more important that countries step up surveillance, especially while vaccine coverage remains low.”
Etienne also warned that the pandemic is creating serious social and economic impacts.
“COVID-19 has not just ravaged our health systems; it has fractured social protection programs and destabilized our economies,” she said, drawing attention to a new study from the Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).
The study reported that more than seven million companies have closed amid the pandemic.
“We urge countries to continue prioritizing health and social safety nets as part of their COVID response and as they turn their sights to COVID recovery,” she added.
Access to vaccines
Vaccines continue to be inaccessible for many in Latin America and the Caribbean, the PAHO director noted.
“Money, more than public health, has determined how quickly countries can secure the tools they need to combat this virus,” Etienne said. “As countries that struck deals with vaccine manufacturers pull further ahead, vaccination coverage continues to linger in the single digits for much of our region.”
Calling attention to the US government’s donation of nearly 12 million vaccine doses to countries in the Americas, Etienne said more are on their way with PAHO’s help.
“These vaccines are bringing hope to countries that would otherwise have to wait months to secure even a fraction of these doses,” she said. “That’s why we continue to urge donors and countries with surplus vaccines to share them with our region. This remains the only way for many countries in our region to secure the doses they need, quickly.”
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