The Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Carissa F. Etienne, has warned that any attempt to transition to more flexible measures must be taken with extreme caution.

 “Social distancing needs to be accompanied by comprehensive social support measures to ensure the most vulnerable can comply without severe risk to their livelihoods,” Dr. Etienne said today during a weekly media briefing.

 She continued: “COVID-19 has yet to hit with full force in our region, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean, and we expect it to intensify in the next few weeks. Indeed, the rise in hospitalizations and deaths we see in some countries highlights how quickly the situation could change in others.”

Dr. Etienne also revealed that as of April 13, there have been 644,986 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Americas, and 25,551 deaths. PAHO’s Director noted that community transmission is being reported by a growing number of countries in North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.