announced that Peru has already entered a fourth wave of COVID-19.
Thus, the government official called on the population to continue getting vaccinated and wearing face masks to prevent its spread.
"We have already entered a fourth wave. Peru's positive rate has been more than 5%, which is beyond the acceptable limit, thus suggesting that a fourth wave has begun," Lopez remarked.
"As we know, COVID-19 is present in many provinces and regions across the country, mainly in the capital city (Lima)," he added.
In this regard, the minister said there has been an average of 1,800 positive cases per week in the past weeks, and now this rate has jumped to more than 11,000 cases a week.
"We are encouraging people to attend vaccination centers (to get the shots) because this is the only way to prevent them from needing a hospital bed or even an ICU bed," he noted.
Moreover, the Cabinet member reiterated the need to continue wearing face masks properly in crowded places.
Minsa reported that an increase in cases has been observed across districts in Metropolitan Lima since Epidemiological Week (EW) 14-2022, adding that the percentage of isolation of BA.4 and BA.5 lineages was higher in the last four EWs, especially in the last one, which experienced a higher number of infections coincidentally.
The government department stated that a steady increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases has been observed at the national level, going from 1,813 (EW 14-2022) to 11,177 (EW 23-2022) cases focused in Metropolitan Lima.
Similarly, an increase in infections has been recorded in the regions of Ancash, Arequipa, Callao, Cusco, Junin, and La Libertad since EW 19-2022, while in Ica, Lambayeque, Lima, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, and Tacna the increase has been observed since EW 21-2022.
In this regard, Minsa urged public and private health facilities across the country to stay alert so as to detect positive cases in time, as well as to strengthen the national epidemiological surveillance system that will ensure timely investigation of cases.
The recommendations will be in effect and updated based on the evolution of the acute phase of the current pandemic wave.