PAHO director said it was “unacceptable” that only 10% of people in Latin America and the Caribbean have been vaccinated against COVID-19

The Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Carissa Etienne, said that despite the fact that there has been “relief” from the virus in countries in the northern hemisphere in recent weeks, for most American nations “the end of the pandemic is still a distant future”.

In addition, said it was “unacceptable” that only one in 10 people in Latin America and the Caribbean had been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Delta variant of the coronavirus -Very contagious- It has been detected mainly in travelers across America and its community transmission has been limited, he said, for his part, Jairo Mendez-Rico, PAHO’s Emerging Viral Disease Advisor.

However, Ciro Ugarte, PAHO’s Director of Health Emergencies, said countries with a high presence of variants of concern should make the decision to considerably limit travel or close your borders.

In another order, Etienne said the hurricane season in the Caribbean and winter in the southern hemisphere comes during a rebound in COVID-19 cases in America, which could worsen the coronavirus pandemic in the region.

America, the region hardest hit by the virus, added last week 1.1 million infections and 300,000 deaths linked, figures cataloged by Etienne as “staggering”.

“This year’s hurricane season comes amid worsening epidemics in the Caribbean and Central America,” Etienne commented at a virtual press conference.

The doctor ordered the countries to consider equipping hospitals and expanding shelters to reduce the potential for transmission of the coronavirus, because, he said, social distancing and adequate ventilation will become difficult in the context of a storm.

“This year’s flu season comes at a time when COVID-19 infections are exponentially higher, but public health measures are much less stringent,” Etienne warned.

(With information from Reuters)

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