WHO reminds health authorities to take specific steps to protect health care workers and communities during essential immunization activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Globally, the number of total confirmed cases has exceeded 3 million.

Region of the Americas: 1.213.088 confirmed (33.481 new cases in last 24 hours ) 62.404 deaths (2193 new cases in last 24 hours ). 

WHO has called on countries to ensure that usual immunization is maintained wherever possible and surveillance for vaccine-preventable diseases is not disrupted during the ongoing pandemic.

The Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare of Spain has recentl changed its criteria for reporting COVID-19 cases to include only those with positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results. This has resulted in a retrospective decrease of 12,130 cases. Spain will continue to report only new PCR positive cases.

Public health systems are coming under severe strain as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Countries must also continue to focus on other health emergencies and make progress against diseases such as malaria or poliomyelitis (polio). A new analysis on malaria supports the call to minimize disruptions to malaria prevention and treatment services during the COVID-19 pandemic.