The World Health Organization (WHO) said shortages in vaccines, oxygen supply, and treatment are factors behind the rising COVID-19-related deaths in some countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
There are currently more than four million fatalities of COVID-19 worldwide since the reported outbreak in Wuhan, China.
“The world is at a perilous point in this pandemic. We have just passed the tragic milestone of 4 million recorded COVID-19 deaths, which likely underestimates the overall toll,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a media briefing on July 7.
The WHO also pointed out countries with high vaccination rates that have been easing health protocols despite the threat of the Delta variant.
“Variants are currently winning the race against vaccines because of inequitable vaccine production and distribution, which also threatens the global economic recovery,” he said.
In line with this, a local health expert on Thursday (July 8) asked the public to be more cautious and avoid complacency amid the spread of Delta variant to over 90 countries.
“I think ‘yung Delta [variant] talagang eventually baka makapasok ‘yan, ang next step ay paigtingin natin ‘yung contact tracing, ‘yung test, trace, and treat,” National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 Adviser Dr. Ted Herbosa said.
“Ang Indonesia ay katabi lang ng Pilipinas, napasok sila, ‘di pa sila tapos sa pagbabakuna, and isa sa mga nakita ko sa nangyari sa kanila eh binaba kagad nila ‘yung kanilang quarantine rules,” Herbosa added.
The task force’s health adviser urged vaccine recipients, particularly senior citizens, to complete their vaccination, noting that the second dose coverage for priority group A2 is below 10% due to vaccine hesitancy. – Report from Mark Fetalco/AG- jlo
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