The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) urges the Americas to be on their guard, stating that 2021 could have a greater surge in COVID compared to 2020. The World Health Organization's (WHO) body in the region warned countries in Latin America that can witness a worse spike in coronavirus infections, according to an Al Jazeera report.

Since January 1, 2021, PAHO has recorded 19.7 million cases of COVID-19 in the Americas. Meanwhile, 475,000 individuals from the region have lost their lives due to the notorious disease.

Americas and COVID

PAHO pointed out that the number of deaths in the region also remained high. Recent data has recorded 34 thousand deaths in the previous week. Among the countries in the region with the highest death rates are Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru, according to the news briefing from PAHO.

"All countries should be on high alerts," said PAHO Director Carissa Etienne in a different report. Etienne noted that complacency amid the pandemic leads to more cases.

Cases in Chile continue to mount even with the successful COVID vaccine rollout. To counter the situation, their government imposed a strict lockdown. Mexico, on the other hand, had a higher rate of death toll, overcoming their 3,000 daily marks.

"We urge our Member States to reinforce surveillance and act at the first sign that cases are rising," said Etienne. Etienne also pointed out that their member states' respective governments should not wait before they are overwhelmed because the risk for their constituent's health is too high.

The focus of PAHO on COVID measures

Because of the upcoming surge, which is considered worse, PAHO focuses on three domains: virus surveillance, vaccine procurement, and the supply of equipment.

Twenty-one countries are already participating in the PAHO's COVID-19 genomic Surveillance Network, granting the organization a better model of how the variants of the virus are circulating in the region. At least one of the three COVID variants that are in concern have been identified in 32 regional countries. The Brazilian variant of SARS-CoV-2 has been identified in countries such as Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, United States, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, and Uruguay, according to a Reuters report.

Over the last 30 days, more than 2.5 million vaccine doses through COVAX have already reached 17 countries in the region. This was done through the effort of PAHO's Revolving Fund.

However, securing vaccines is still a problem across the majority of Latin America. Etienne noted that this is because of the production delays due to manufacturers rushing to heighten the capacity. Another problem is vaccine nationalism which affects global availability.

Meanwhile, the organization has also released at least three million units of medical masks in the region. Oxygens and other supply limitations are being addressed.

Etienne highlighted that the places in the Americas that experience COVID surges should stay at home to prevent further transmission. "Without preventive action, our region could face an upsurge even larger than the last one," said Etienne.

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