The vaccines currently administered in Peru are effective against the Delta COVID-19 variant, which so far has only been detected in Arequipa region,
Labor and Employment Promotion Minister Javier Palacios affirmed on Monday afternoon.
"The (Sinopharm, AstraZeneca, and Pfizer) vaccines used in the country are also effective against the Delta variant. However, we want to issue a new call for people to take extreme prevention measures, not lower their guard, and protect themselves further to avoid risks to their health," he remarked.
At a press conference, the minister indicated that the National Health Institute (INS) is searching for new cases in Arequipa and surrounding regions.
Extreme alert level
This decision was in response to an increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths reported in this part of the country.
He lamented that "Arequipa was one of the places whose population was the least willing to comply with the biosafety measures. Such behavior and the arrival of the Delta variant —also known as Indian variant— may explain such increase in cases. Meanwhile, in the rest of the country, the second wave is finally coming down."
(END) JOT/RMB
Published: 6/14/2021