Director of PAHO expressed concerns for increasing COVID-19 cases in Haiti

The growth of pandemic in Haiti resulted in an increase in the number of positive cases. The number of patients is increasing in hospitals, and the number of deaths is also inclining at the same pace. PAHO expressed its concern about this current problem in Haiti. The Director of PAHO, Carissa Etienne, also expressed her concerns during the organization’s weekly press conference regarding the status of the pandemic in the region of the Americas.

Carissa Etienne highlighted the points that are being the main factors of the increasing effect of the COVID-19 virus in that area. She said that the cases are increasing because of the reducing numbers of beds in hospitals. The two variants, those are British and Brazilian, in the region, are also posing a danger to the health of the Haitians.

Etienne said that in Brazil, the new cases are increasing rapidly, and the hospitalizations are also increasing. In the areas the infection is growing in the Northeastern states where hospitals are almost engaged with new patients. During the last week, PAHO has reported 1.1 million new cases of COVID-19 and more than 25,000 deaths linked to covid-19 in the Americas region.

Etienne said that she had warned about the increasing effect of the COVID-19 virus in the region along with other sub-regions except for North America in The US, Canada and Mexico, where the deaths and new cases are reducing on a daily basis.

According to the recent data of the COVID-19 new cases in Haiti total of 14,711 confirmed cases, out of which 146 cases are of 2 June 2021. The death count has also touched the figure of 319.

On 19 March, the first two COVID-19 cases in the country were confirmed. On 5 April, the government confirmed its first death from COVID-19. On 9 April, the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved a US$20 million grant for the Haiti COVID-19 Response Project.