Covid-19 in the Americas: what you need to know today (June 16)

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Caribbean will not reopen if its population is not vaccinated. This is how emphatic the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was about the need for an equitable distribution of vaccines. At the same time, the Butantan Institute identified the circulation of 19 variants of covid-19 in Brazil.

These and five other news items make up this Wednesday’s key covid news in the Americas:

1. W.H.O. WARNING FOR THE CARIBBEAN

“The Caribbean cannot reopen without vaccination,” said Adhanom Ghebreyesus during the virtual session of the Assembly of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), which brought together government and opposition representatives from countries in the region.

In response, the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, expressed his disappointment that the W.H.O. has not yet approved the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine for use in treating the pandemic.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) noted that in St. Lucia, for example, according to a press release from the Ministry of Health, 41 autochthonous cases of the coronavirus have been detected.

2. A SCORE OF VARIANTS IN SÃO PAULO

São Paulo, the most populated and pandemic-stricken state in Brazil, has 19 variants of the coronavirus in circulation, fully identified by the Butantan Institute, one of the most prestigious medical research institutions in Latin America.

“So far, 19 circulating variants have already been identified in the state of Sao Paulo” after “sequencing 4,812 (0.58%) complete genomes of 834,114 (39.2%) positive cases,” reported the institute, linked to the State Government of São Paulo.

Behind P.1 (Gamma), originating in the Brazilian city of Manaus, the other variant classified by the health authorities as “of concern” with the highest prevalence in the state is Alpha or B.1.1.7, identified for the first time in the United Kingdom and whose incidence was 4.2%.

3. INFECTION RATES IN THE AMERICAS DROPPED IN THE LAST WEEK

According to data from the W.H.O. weekly epidemiological report, the Americas recorded a 4% decrease in infections. In comparison, global covid infections fell by 12% last week, with more than 2.6 million new cases reported, the lowest weekly incidence recorded since February.

The largest declines were in Southeast Asia by region, down 27% from the previous week, Europe, down 13%, and East Asia, down 10%. In comparison, Africa experienced a 44% increase in the last seven days and a 20% increase in deaths.

4. U.S.A.: LATINOS AND AFRICAN-AMERICANS STILL NOT VACCINATED

A study conducted by BSP Research and the African American Research Collaborative (AARC) revealed that 47% of Latinos and 46% of African Americans had not been immunized in the United States, showing a lower vaccination rate than other demographic groups.

Specifically, 56% of Hispanics between 18 and 29 years of age have not yet been vaccinated, which shows a high resistance among the youngest compared to those over 65 years of age, a group in which only 20% remain unvaccinated. In addition, one of the main concerns is the risk of blood clots and other side effects.

5. ONE CRUISE POSTPONED, ANOTHER REACTIVATED

The Royal Caribbean cruise ship “Odyssey of the Seas”, which was to resume operations in U.S. ports at the beginning of July, had to postpone its departure date to July 31 due to 8 positive cases of covid in its crew.

The Miami-based company reported via social media that all 1,400 crew members are vaccinated. The infection occurred in the interval between the two doses when the full immunization period had not been met.

On the contrary, after more than a year without cruises due to the pandemic, this Wednesday, a ship docked in the island of Cozumel, in the Mexican Caribbean, with more than 1,000 passengers on board and all the eagerness to reactivate this type of tourism in the region.

6. CANADA REACHES PARTIAL IMMUNIZATION OF ITS POPULATION

The number of Covid-19 infections and deaths has fallen dramatically in Canada in recent weeks. At the same time, it is the country with the highest percentage of the population that has received at least one dose of vaccines against the disease.

Canada, which made the controversial decision to delay the second dose of Covid vaccines for up to 12 weeks to prioritize partial immunization of the maximum of its population, has already inoculated 65.4% of its citizens with one dose.

7. MARCELO MARTINS: “IF ONE PERSON DIES, WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO?”

This was the uncomfortable question asked by the captain of the Bolivian national soccer team, Marcelo Martins Moreno, through his Instagram to Conmebol for the increasing cases of Covid-19, which pass 50, in the Copa America taking place in Brazil.

“If one person dies, what are they going to do? The only thing that matters to them is MONEY. Isn’t the player’s life worth anything?” said the goal scorer of “La Verde” to the organization that groups the ten South American soccer federations.

While the entity presided by Alejandro Dominguez announced on Tuesday the opening of a disciplinary file for the alleged violation of the “principles of conduct”, sports figures such as former Paraguayan goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert and Bolivian tennis player Hugo Dellien closed ranks with Martins Moreno.