COVID-19 cases down in Americas but Omicron subvariants driving new infections鈥擯AHO

By: 2 years ago

A man takes a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test at a pop-up testing site in New York City, U.S., July 11, 2022. REUTERS

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on Wednesday warned of the growing number of COVID-19 cases caused by the highly infectious BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants of the coronavirus even as overall cases dipped in the Americas.

There were 1,562,967 new COVID-19 cases in the Americas last week, a 0.9% decrease, PAHO said at a news conference, while deaths fell 3.5% to 4,789.

But PAHO Director Dr. Carissa Etienne cautioned that the Omicron subvariants, now dominant in the United States and several other countries, 鈥渋s driving new infections across the Americas.鈥�

鈥淭he emergence of BA.4 and BA.5 is yet another reminder that the virus keeps evolving every time it is transmitted, and that we must remain vigilant,鈥� Etienne said.

Healthcare workers register people to be tested for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as Peru raised its pandemic alert level in various cities and tightened some restrictions due, to a third wave of infections caused by the spread of the Omicron variant, in Lima, Peru January 6, 2022. REUTERS FILE PHOTO

She urged countries in the Americas to reintroduce public health measures like the use of facemasks and social distancing when cases spike.

鈥淭his virus knows no borders, especially now that international travel has resumed. We must use every tool at our disposal to protect ourselves, particularly those of us most vulnerable to severe disease and death.鈥�

Compared to the previous week, COVID-19 cases increased by 2% in South America and by 55% in Central America. Cases decreased 5.2% in the Caribbean and 4.5% in North America.

COVID-19 related deaths jumped 14.2% in South America, while they decreased in the remaining three subregions in the Americas, PAHO said.

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