PAHO: We are still on the first wave

Latin America is still experiencing the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Tuesday during a virtual conference.

PAHO director Dr. Carissa F. Etienne said that the region was hit by a surge in cases and fatatlities "at a time when most people are experiencing a level of fatigue about the recommended preventive measures", potentially exacerbating the impact of the virus.

The PAHO expert called for countries to be cautious with reopening their economies as the pandemic is still spreading "from some of the bigger cities that tend to have better hospital capacity to smaller towns that may not be able to accommodate patients".

"Last week there was 735,000 new cases in the region, with an average of over a hundred thousand cases reported every day. Nearly 20% higher than the previous week." said Etienne.

According to PAHO data, the Americas has reached 5.9 million cases and almost 267,000 deaths in the Americas.

The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.