LATEST REPORTED DAILY CASE COUNT
We’re using this page to provide a chronological forum for updates on the novel coronavirus in Latin America and Perú – including travel restrictions, updates on HBI programs and projects, and general recommendations. Should you have specific questions about COVID-19 and the global pandemic – please check the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization website.
DAILY UPDATE
A note about the daily case counts – the Peruvian government has stopped reporting daily cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 deaths. We will do our best to keep track of the changing severity and complexity of the pandemic in Perú. However, between our website updates – should you have any questions or want more information regarding HBI’s outreach efforts and response to the pandemic, please contact us at: info@hbint.org
September 9, 2021
Over one month into the new presidential administration and the response to COVID by the government remains strong. More and more populations are eligible for vaccination and larger segments of the population are receiving their first doses. Projections by the Ministry of Health indicate all eligible citizens will receive their first dose by the end of 2021. This is great news. However, a number of questions remain – will the current vaccine formulations confer immune coverage in response to the rapidly changing variants (NB: Perú is predominately administering the Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccine formulation – which study data indicates has a <51% efficacy rate)? Also, will a booster vaccine be required to match the evolving viral complexity? And if such, how will Perú secure the millions of additional doses? In addition, a third wave is expected to hit before December (originally predicted for the end of September) – how well prepared is Perú for this inevitable impact on the healthcare system? At present, things are looking up for Perú as case loads continue to decrease and more and more eligible individuals receive their inoculations. The future – however, remains a bit uncertain.
July 29, 2021
Perú has a new president and the world enters a new phase of the global pandemic. On July 28, Peruvian independence day, the country ushered in a new leadership. Self-branded as a “Marxist” – the new president – Pedro Castillo Terrones – takes office with big promises of equity and equality for all “native peoples.” In a statement released to the press at his inauguration, Castillo noted – “The pride and pain of the indigenous people runs through my veins. My parents have had a lack of opportunities and that is how I have grown up. My hands have been made working in the fields. My story is the story of many Peruvians, and our story will not be the exception. We will not let you down.” President Castillo takes office with a country divided along political ideologies He faces a number of challenges – including the continuing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. As much of the rest of the world finds itself wrestling with the new delta variant phase of the pandemic, Latin America continues to struggle to rollout vaccination programs and stimulate a reemergence of their economies. The good news is that case counts are dropping dramatically in Perú – however, all indications are for a resurgence of cases and a more aggressive dissemination of the delta and lambda variants with a “third wave” phenomenon in September or October.
January 28, 2021
On January 27th, the Peruvian government announced a new tiered approach to increased inmovilizaciones sociales obligatorias throughout the country. The new measures (see graphics above) will take effect on Sunday, 31 January and are scheduled to last until 14 February. What these measures will mean for the areas designated as “extreme level” is a return to many of the quarantine restrictions of early 2020. We are working with our team on the ground to appropriately plan with the communities and people we serve to have access to the food, medications, and resources they will need throughout the expanded quarantine. We will keep you posted to changes and updates.
January 20, 2021
The U.S. inaugurated a new president, and Perú finds itself struggling to come to terms with a second wave of COVID infections. In spite of a forecasted second wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections for past 3-4 months, Perú is in the midst of rapidly escalating cases and a faltering healthcare infrastructure. Starting on Tuesday, 19 January the union representing all the physicians working at EsSalud run hospitals and clinics are around Perú, announced that doctors will be going on a hunger strike to protest the lack of government investment in responding to the pandemic. Perú, like a number of other Latin American countries, were devastated by the first wave of the virus in early 2020. The second wave is forecasted to have equally damaging impact on communities and healthcare infrastructure. With much of the world moving toward the first phase of vaccination, Perú lags behind due to a number of complex issues. The Perú government is currently in negotiations to purchase 1 million doses from the Chinese pharmaceutical company, SinoPharm. Its hard to imagine these 1-million does will have much impact in a county of over 32-million with with expanding social, economic and infrastructure challenges.