Hard-hit Peru battles COVID 'resurgence'

Peru, hit by the world's highest coronavirus death rate, said Monday it was battling a pandemic "resurgence."

Daily infections climbed to more than 1,500 last week, on average, after hovering at around 800 from September to the first week of November, said Health Minister Hernando Cevallos.

Daily deaths rose from an average of 28 a month ago to 56.

"We have a resurgence of COVID-19," said Cevallos.

The Andean country of 33 million people has registered more than 2.2 million coronavirus cases and over 201,000 deaths to date.

It has not yet encountered a case of the new Omicron variant, which is believed to be more contagious.

Peru's number of reported deaths is only surpassed in Latin America by Brazil and Mexico, countries with populations almost seven and four times greater respectively.

The nation's rate of 612 deaths per 100,000 people is far higher than any other country in the world, according to an AFP database compiled with official statistics.

In a bid to tackle the rising infections, Lima has since last Friday required vaccine certificates for entry into shops, banks, public buildings and airports.

To date, the country has fully vaccinated 72 percent of the target population, according to the health ministry.

Last week, Peru exceeded a 24-hour death toll of 100 people for the first time in four months.

© 2021 AFP