SITUATION UPDATE
According to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) Situation Report No. 33 (dated 14 April, 2020), up to 33 countries in the Caribbean region have reported the importation of at least one confirmed case of COVID-19. The risk of further importation of cases to the Caribbean Region remains Very High. The aim for all countries now, is to stop transmission, prevent the spread of the virus and save lives. Based on the Draft CARPHA Health Sector Response Guidelines for COVID-19 circulated to Member States, most countries are encouraged to implement actions in keeping with the Initial or Targeted Action in the Response Phase.
The PAHO Director Dr Carissa Etienne and other experts on 14 April, met with Ministers of Health to (1) discuss the current status of the pandemic response in the countries of the Americas, (2) provide an overview on rapid tests and other diagnostics, (3) suggested therapeutics including chloroquine, and (4) provide an update of current social distancing measures along with the evidence required to relax these measures.
Since the previous report on April 8, 2020, additional cases were confirmed in 29 countries, bringing the region’s total confirmed cases to 6,087 in 33 countries/territories; 24 (72%) of these are CARPHA Member States. This new total represents a 52% increase in the numbers of confirmed cases. One hundred and thirty-one (131) additional deaths were also recorded, bringing the total numbers of deaths to 316.
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