Americas: Pace of Omicron slows amid rising COVID infections
(United Nations News) COVID infections and deaths in North America continue to rise, as hospitalisations increase throughout the whole continent, the head of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Office said on Wednesday.
“I am a medical doctor, wife, mother, and grandmother. I couldn’t wait to get my vaccination; I was so anxious for myself and my 95-year-old mother. I can’t begin to tell you the relief I felt when I, my mother, my husband, and my children were vaccinated, because I trust in science and appreciate life”.
– Dr. Carissa Etienne, Director of PAHO
And in the crucial area of vaccination, although the Americas now have some of the highest COVID-19 vaccination coverage rates on the planet, it’s also “the most unequal region in the world” when it comes to shots, said Carissa Etienne, Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
“Vaccinations, testing, and continuing public health measures like mask wearing and social distancing remain crucial”.
– DR. CARISSA ETIENNE, DIRECTOR OF PAHO
Last week, there were seven million new COVID cases and more than 34,000 COVID-related deaths”, she told the regular weekly media briefing.
“However, the rise in infections seems to be slowing down in places hit earliest by the Omicron variant”.
North America recorded more than four million new infections, accounting for most of the latest cases, as surges continue across Central and South America, where Chile and Brazil have posted record numbers of daily cases.
Read more at: United Nations News
Source: CARICOM TODAY