During the regular conference on the novel coronavirus, the WHO executive said that “the countries with the largest number of increases in cases are Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Haiti, Argentina and Bolivia and that although the numbers are not yet exponential in some of these countries, we are seeing a progressive increase on a daily level”.
Latin America, epicenter of the pandemic in the world
The expert warned that health systems are already beginning to be put under pressure across the region, as many countries try to understand the scale of the epidemic.
Ryan explained that the number of people living in urban settings, as well as poverty, are some of the factors pushing the intensity of transmission.
For the director of emergencies, there is an “absolute need” to protect Latin America and the Caribbean: “No one is safe until everyone is safe,” he concluded.