(COVID -19) Coronavirus in the Americas Lessons Update 12

World Health Organization (WHO)
COVID-19 (World) situation report
Oficial overview and information

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) 
COVID-19 (Americas) situation report

PAHO Director calls on each country to analyze trends of the pandemic before relaxing social distancing measures. The Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Carissa F. Etienne, asked countries to analyze specific trends in the COVID-19 pandemic according to their unique contexts, and warned that reducing social distancing measures “too soon could accelerate the spread of the virus and open the door for a dramatic upsurge or for spread to adjacent areas.”
In a briefing with journalists, Dr. Etienne also expressed her particular concern for Haiti in the context of the pandemic, and warned of the dangers of a large-scale outbreak in that country, which, added to the difficult situation Haiti is going through, could trigger a humanitarian crisis. “A much broader coalition to address a potential health crisis in this country is needed,” said Dr. Etienne... Read more

Policies and Strategies

High Authorities of the Joint Summits Working Group (JSWG) Ratify their Support to the Countries of the Americas in Facing the Health, Socio-economic and Governance Impacts associated with COVID-19. In response to the emergency caused by COVID-19, the High Authorities of the Joint Summit Working Group (JSWG) met this week for the second time to ratify their commitment in support of the member states of the Americas and multilateralism as an instrument to address multiple challenges facing the region in the post-COVID-19 phase.

With this in mind, the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) raised the need to work on a thematic agenda that incorporates the specific demands of regional organizations such as SICA (Central American Integration System) and CARICOM (Caribbean Community)... Read more

Coronavirus in the Americas, live: latest news from Covid-19. América roza las 100.000 muertes por la pandemia. Estados Unidos supera los 75.000 muertos por covid-19. Brasil registra 9.146 decesos hasta este jueves... Read more

Tools 

OAS and Facebook Launch Initiative to Offer Resilience Tools for MSMEs. The Organization of American States (OAS) and Facebook are launching today a partnership to support the Micro Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) of the region through online training sessions and policy roundtables. The program will help MSMEs face the challenges they are facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic as many of them have been forced to close temporarily due to weak consumer demand, and plummeting foot traffic and social interaction... Read more

Opinion and analysis

A Time to Save the Sick and Rescue the Planet. Addressing climate change and Covid-19 simultaneously and at enough scale requires a response stronger than any seen before to safeguard lives and livelihoods. A recovery from the coronavirus crisis must not take us just back to where we were last summer. It is an opportunity to build more sustainable and inclusive economies and societies — a more resilient and prosperous world. Recently the International Renewable Energy Agency released data showing that transforming energy systems could boost global G.D.P. by $98 trillion by 2050, delivering 2.4 percent more G.D.P. growth than current plans. Boosting investments in renewable energy alone would add 42 million jobs globally, create health care savings eight times the cost of the investment, and prevent a future crisis... Read more

Weathering the coronavirus storm in the Caribbean. “This is completely a black swan event. No one saw it coming. It’s affecting every single person on the planet, and we have to muster up courage, first of all, to do the right thing, especially for people who are absolutely desperate and need our help,” says Therese Turner-Jones, general manager of the IDB’s Caribbean Country Department.
Caribbean countries have had to weather many storms in the past, but none that unleashed impacts quite like the coronavirus pandemic. Alongside the lives at stake are millions of livelihoods, and understanding the economic forces at work is essential to planning a way forward for the region... Read more

Recommended Events & Courses

Elections in Times of Pandemic. States must guarantee the right to life and health. Furthermore, they are responsible for protecting democratic values ​​and guaranteeing respect for the constitutional order established in each country. Electoral processes, particularly the pre-electoral stage and on election day, involve mass meetings or community events, for example: campaign activities, training of table members, preparation of electoral material, attendance of citizens at their polling station. voting, among others. In light of the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) to avoid the agglomeration of people, the electoral authorities are faced with the challenge of carrying out electoral processes while safeguarding the health of citizens and of the the electoral servants... Read more

LIVE! A Shock Like No Other: The Impact of the Pandemic on Commodities. World Bank webinar... Watch now