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Peru: Health Ministry reports 534 Delta variant cases

Photo: ANDINA/Ministry of Health of Peru

17:06 | Iquitos (Loreto region), Sep. 23.

To date, a total of 534 cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant have been detected in Peru, now being the predominant one in the country, Health Minister Hernando Cevallos reported on Thursday.

On this occasion, the Cabinet member arrived in Loreto region to supervise the vaccination against COVID-19.

The information was provided minutes before leaving for Indiana district where the supervision of the immunization of Palmera II-Yagua community members is scheduled, as well as verification of the status and needs of Indiana and Mazan health facilities.

"What we now notice is an increase in Delta variant cases. Less than three weeks ago, we had (registered) 40 cases, and now we have 534 cases of the Delta variant, which has become the predominant variant in Peru, thus accounting for more than 54% of variant cases detected in the country," Cevallos explained.

Given this, the health sector's head launched an early warning and said "we cannot rule out" that Peru may be clearly entering a third wave in two or three weeks.

"We are at a stage that allows us to advance as quickly as we can in terms of vaccination and take precautions against this third wave," he pointed out.

In this sense, the Ministry of Health (Minsa) continues working under its new strategy "Vamos a tu encuentro. Vacunate ya" (We will come to you. Get vaccinated now), which consists of bringing the vaccination process closer to citizens, through the active search for people with first or second doses pending so as to close gaps in terms of immunizations.

(END) NDP/MVB

Published: 9/23/2021