The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) is warning governments in the Region of the Americas not to get complacent in the fight against the COVID-19 virus.

The warning came as cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have doubled in a week, according to Pan American Health Organization Director Carissa F. Etienne. She urged countries to take measures that protect health care workers and to ensure they have access to the personal protective equipment and supplies they need to care for patients affected by the disease.

“Shortages of the most basic protective equipment leave doctors, nurses and other frontline workers dangerously vulnerable as they care for COVID-19 patients,” Dr. Etienne said in a press briefing today. 

She added that up to April 6, there have been 384,435 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in the Americas, and 11,270 people have lost their lives. “In just seven days, we witnessed cases and deaths more than double in our region. The pandemic is accelerating rapidly, and I urge governments to prepare and respond at the same speed,” she said.

Etienne also urged countries to follow PAHO guidelines and recommendations including social distancing measures to lessen the burden on health systems. “All of us need to be prepared for more difficult weeks ahead,” she said.