Increase in covid-19 infections surprises several countries around the world, warns PAHO

The increase in covid-19 infections in various parts of the world is a “warning” for the Americas that the virus is not under control despite the decrease in infections in the regionsaid on Wednesday the Pan American Health Organization.

PAHO, the regional office of the World Health Organization (WHO), highlighted that infections of the new coronavirus they increased last week by 28.9% in the Western Pacific region, which includes China; 12.3% in Africa; and almost 2% in Europe relative to the previous week.

“Cases are rising again in other parts of the world, serving as a warning to our region”, said PAHO deputy director Jarbas Barbosa at a press conference.

In the Americas, cases of covid-19 continued to decline for the eighth week with more than 901,000 new cases reported in the week of March 6, a drop of 19% compared to the previous week. Weekly deaths followed also its downward trajectory for the fifth week consecutive, with 15,523 new deaths reported (-18.4%), said PAHO.

But Barbosa indicated that although most American countries and territories reported a reduction in new infections, in the Caribbean and on the islands of the Atlantic Ocean cases increased by 56.6%.

“Covid-19 infections and deaths are declining in most of our region, but too many cases and deaths are still being reported every day, a clear indication that transmission is not yet under control”, he recalled.

Given the risk that the pandemic still poses, PAHO urged the countries of the Americas to expand anticovid vaccination rates.

Barbosa highlighted that Chile, as well as the Cayman Islands and Puerto Rico (British and US territories in the Caribbean, respectively), they have already vaccinated more than 90% of their population, but he recalled that 21 countries and territories in the Americas still have to vaccinate 50%. (I)