A record surge in COVID-19 cases is threatening to overwhelm hospitals and fragile health systems in the Pacific, from the Solomon Islands to Palau, according to the International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), which is calling for immediate action to curb the spread of the virus.
“Every effort must be made to prevent and contain the virus,” the IFRC’s Katie Greenwood, Pacific head of delegation, said in a statement on Tuesday, noting that vaccination, which is lagging in some countries, was “vital” to that effort.
