While COVID-19 deaths have dropped in the Americas region for the first time since the beginning of the omicron variant, the Caribbean remains vulnerable to the deadly virus, the World Health Organization’s Americas office warned Wednesday.
Vaccination rates are continuing to lag in many countries and territories, and a surge in new cases is leading to increases in hospital admissions and deaths, said Dr. Carissa Etienne, the director of the WHO’s Pan American Health Organization.
“We have to continue to be vigilant; we need to ensure social distancing ... (and) the best way to protect yourself is getting a vaccine,” said Etienne, making a special appeal to her fellow Caribbean nationals. She is from the eastern Caribbean island of Dominica.
