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World Well being Group officers on Wednesday expressed considerations that some nations within the Americas had been prematurely scaling again insurance policies to regulate the coronavirus, and urged them to double down on efforts to extend vaccination and testing as instances stay excessive in Europe.
Dr. Carissa Etienne, director of the Pan American Well being Group, a regional arm of the W.H.O., mentioned that whereas coronavirus instances had fallen within the Americas, they had been rising in some locations, together with the Caribbean and Canada, which has reported a 26 p.c enhance in instances over the previous two weeks.
“We all know what has occurred elsewhere foreshadows what our area will face,” Dr. Etienne mentioned throughout a convention name with reporters. “Time and time once more we’ve seen how the an infection dynamics in Europe are mirrored right here only a few weeks later.”
In South America, a comparatively massive share of the inhabitants is absolutely vaccinated — 73 p.c, in accordance the Our World in Knowledge undertaking on the College of Oxford. However Dr. Etienne mentioned that 240 million individuals within the Americas have but to obtain a single vaccine dose, placing them in danger as tourism and journey enhance within the area. “We all know what it takes to guard our individuals,” she mentioned. “We have now to maintain filling vaccination gaps.”
Cuba, which has absolutely vaccinated 88 p.c of its inhabitants, introduced this week that beginning Wednesday, vacationers would now not be required to current proof of vaccination or a adverse coronavirus take a look at consequence to enter the nation.
Some nations have made adjustments to their testing methods that might make it more durable to detect and reply to potential outbreaks, Dr. Etienne mentioned.
“International locations should proceed to observe the virus to be ready for what comes,” she mentioned. “Many nations in current weeks have scaled again public well being measures prematurely.”
Dr. Ciro Ugarte, director of well being emergencies at P.A.H.O., mentioned throughout the name that since Panama loosened its pandemic restrictions, it had not skilled a spike in instances, partially as a result of it has an efficient system for monitoring the virus.
In response to a query about Mexico, the place reported instances have decreased 24 p.c prior to now two weeks, one other P.A.H.O. official, Dr. Sylvain Aldighieri, mentioned the group didn’t suggest that Mexico ease its restrictions. He mentioned the authorities ought to stay notably vigilant this month, when many individuals in Latin America are more likely to journey round Holy Week and Easter.
W.H.O. officers in different components of the world have warned that stress-free pandemic guidelines too quickly can result in a surge in instances. Final month, whereas the extremely transmissible Omicron subvariant BA.2 was sweeping via Europe, Dr. Hans Kluge, the group’s director for the area, mentioned that nations there have been lifting restrictions “brutally, from an excessive amount of to too few.”
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