Latin America is starting to normalize the way of life, easing the lockdowns and restrictions.

However, the number of new coronavirus cases is still on the rise.

According to the World Health Organization regional director, Carissa Etienne, Latin America is reopening too soon and needs to follow the example of Europe, where the second wave of infections is creating a total mess in the health care system.

The Pan American Health Organization is reporting a severe increase of coronavirus cases along the Colombia-Venezuela border, while new spikes are also spotted in Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Costa Rica.

Etienne said, “Although the entire world is racing to develop new tools to prevent and cure COVID-19, a safe and effective vaccine that can be manufactured and delivered at scale is not around the corner. We must be clear that opening up too early gives this virus more room to spread and puts our populations at greater risk. Look no further than Europe.”

She is warning the countries on reopening for tourism as that can cause new outbreaks even in places where the situation is calming down.

Some countries in the Caribbean noted spikes in new cases as they resumed tourism, although their positivity rates were low before they let tourists back in.

Latin America has reported over 8.4 million coronavirus infections since the beginning of the global pandemic, while 314,000 people have lost their lives.