Laura Delgado, like with 60,000 other people in Puerto Rico, went to a Bad Bunny concert three weeks ago armed with her vaccination passport and a joyful desire to enjoy the Christmas season.
Three days later, she became ill with Covid-19, becoming one of around 2,000 individuals who were ill as a consequence of the two-day hazmat incident in question.
“We performed so well because we followed the guidelines,” Ms. Delgado, a 53-year-old interior designer, said of her team’s performance. “We complied with the mask order.” Because our vaccination rate was so high, we were able to relax our security measures. Our first reaction when the holiday season arrived was “We’re going to party!”
The superspreader concert contributed to an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in Puerto Rico, which had been enjoying one of the most effective immunisation efforts in the United States up until that point, according to the CDC. On the island, business events, company holiday parties, and family get-togethers have contributed to a 4,600 percent increase in cases, which public health officials fear will continue into the New Year. The Puerto Rican holiday season runs until Three Kings Day on January 6, and public health officials are concerned that the increase will continue into 2019.
While the Omicron variety has wreaked havoc throughout the nation, it is particularly concerning in Puerto Rico, a U.S. commonwealth already beleaguered by government bankruptcy, a mass migration of medical professionals, and a shaky health-care infrastructure. New tight limitations on passengers and restaurants have been enforced by authorities in an attempt to prevent another wave of instances from occurring.
Rafael Irizarry, a statistician at Harvard University who maintains a dashboard of Puerto Rico Covid-19 data, tweeted the following harrowing statistics: Coronavirus cases on the island have increased by a third since the beginning of the epidemic, according to figures from the Department of Health. In three weeks, the number of cases per 100,000 population increased from three to 225, a significant increase.
The vaccination issue in Puerto Rico has not been marred by controversial politics, as it has been in other areas of the island. Nearly 85 percent of the population has received at least one vaccine dosage, with around 75 percent having had both injections.
However, in the face of a highly infectious novel variety, Mr. Irizarry believes that a high vaccination rate is no longer very significant. Despite the fact that most people in Puerto Rico have crossed the six-month mark after which the vaccine’s potency starts to decrease, at least 40 percent have not yet had their booster injections, according to health authorities.
However, in the face of a highly infectious novel variety, Mr. Irizarry believes that a high vaccination rate is no longer very significant. Despite the fact that most people in Puerto Rico have crossed the six-month mark after which the vaccine’s potency starts to decrease, at least 40 percent have not yet had their booster injections, according to health authorities.
In the meanwhile, 317 individuals have been admitted to hospitals with Covid-19, more than a quarter of them are youngsters, according to the Department of Health on the island of Bermuda. At this time last year, when fewer individuals had been vaccinated, the number of persons hospitalised with the sickness was around half that figure. Hospitals, on the other hand, continue to have difficulties in this area.
Governor Pedro R. Pierluisi has ordered that capacity limitations in eateries be reduced in certain cases. People who want to attend major public gatherings must now be vaccinated and have a negative Covid-19 test performed on them. Passengers arriving on domestic flights must provide a negative test result obtained within 48 hours of their scheduled arrival, regardless of whether or not they have been immunised. Similar regulations were already in effect for foreign flights at the time of writing.
A number of large-scale public events, including an important celebration to mark the 500th anniversary of the island’s capital, San Juan, have been postponed or cancelled. This year’s New Year’s Eve rock concert, which ABC had intended to broadcast live from Puerto Rico in front of large audiences, was downsized to a virtual event due to low viewership.
This week’s recommendations from the Scientific Coalition, a group of scientists and health specialists who have been advising the governor, including more restrictions on alcohol sales and shorter operating hours for bars and other venues. From January 4 through January 18, companies were required to shut between midnight and 5 a.m., according to a proposal made by the governor on Friday. Booster shots for restaurant staff and public safety personnel were also ordered by the governor.
According to health experts, the average age of those who get the virus on the island is 33 years old. In the meanwhile, specialists fear that if young people who have gotten infected while attending parties and other activities visit their elderly relatives for New Year’s and Three Kings Day, the number of sick older individuals would increase significantly. Puerto Rico has a disproportionately high percentage of older adults as a result of the large number of young professionals who have relocated to Florida, Texas, and other states in recent years. Many of these older adults suffer from diabetes, obesity, and other ailments that put them at increased risk for coronavirus complications.
The issue, according to José R. López de Victoria, an epidemiologist who worked on the development of coronavirus safeguards for Puerto Rican basketball teams, is currently ongoing and will continue for some time.
