As COVID surges throughout the region 🌎, countries are facing a familiar challenge ➡️ COVID testing.
PAHO’s Revolving Fund will soon reach the milestone of delivering 📦 100 million doses of vaccines to 33 countries, and as more vaccines become available, we encourage those who haven’t been vaccinated to do so.
More than 60% of people in Latin America and the Caribbean have been fully vaccinated 🩹 against COVID.
We aim to vaccinate at least 70% of the population by mid-2022.
Vaccines shield us from the worst COVID symptoms 🤒 and reduce our chances of needing hospitalized care.
That means it’s critical to protect our health systems so individuals 👨🏿🦳🧓🏾👨🏻👩🏿🦱 who need care can count on it.
And the best way for us to protect our health systems is to get vaccinated 🩹 when it’s our turn.
Although Omicron infections appear to be milder, we continue to urge caution because the virus 🦠 is spreading more actively than ever before.
COVID infections are accelerating in Colombia, Peru, Brazil, and Bolivia.
COVID hospitalizations 🏥 are also growing in Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina.
Cases have at least doubled in more than 17 countries and territories 🌎, which is especially concerning as hospital capacity in many islands remains limited.
The Caribbean islands 🏝 are witnessing the steepest increase in COVID infections since the start of the pandemic.
Cases in Martinique have increased ⬆️ by more than 600% and in Saint Martin they have risen by more than 135%.
In North America, the US and Canada continue to experience a surge of COVID hospitalizations 🏥
Panama, Costa Rica, and Honduras are reporting the highest numbers of new COVID cases in Central America, with cases more than doubling over the last week.
