More than 1 million died in Caribbean and Latin America due to COVID-19: Reports

More than one million people have died from Covid-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to an AFP count based on official figures on Friday. The region also recorded more than 31.5 million infections. More than 90 percent of the deaths were recorded in just five countries that make up 70 percent of the region's population: Brazil (446,309 deaths), Mexico (221,080), Colombia (83,233), Argentina (73,391) and Peru (67, 253). "The lives of one million people have been cut short due to Covid-19. This is a tragic milestone for all the residents of the region," said Carissa Etienne, director of the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO). "This pandemic is far from over and is hitting Latin America hard, affecting our health, economies and our entire society. But only three percent of our population has been vaccinated." Brazil continues to record the largest number of new daily deaths, averaging nearly 2,000 this week, although it was a third drop from six weeks ago when it exceeded 3,000.

Mexico progressed even better, falling from 1,300 daily deaths at the end of January to an average of 170. At the other end of the spectrum, daily deaths have increased in Bolivia and Ecuador by 44 and 35 percent, respectively, over the past week.

PAHO Director Etienne blamed the increasing number of deaths due to the slow vaccination in the region. More than 153.5 million people in the Americas were vaccinated against Covid-19, PAHO said, but only 21.6 percent of them were in Latin America and the Caribbean. "The region is an epicentre of Covid-19 suffering. It should also be an epicentre for vaccinations," Etienne said. In the United States, nearly half of the population received at least one dose, while nearly 85 percent of those over 85 had both, PAHO said. The country has consequently seen a huge decline in new cases, hospitalizations and deaths. "The progress we see in the United States is a testament to the power of safe and effective vaccines, but it underscores the vital importance of accelerating their access throughout our region so that our countries can immunize their entire population," he said. said. Etienne.

"We urgently need more vaccinations for Latin America and the Caribbean."