CNA Staff, Jun 25, 2020 / 10:48 am
Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski has called for a moratorium on the United States' deportation of Haitians during the coronavirus pandemic, warning that Haiti's healthcare system is not prepared to manage a widespread coronavirus outbreak.
"An ongoing surge of infection could destroy an already weakened economy and exacerbate political instability," Wenski wrote in a June 19 letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
"Haiti's health system's capacity to respond to COVID-19 cases is already at its limit, making the possible influx of new cases especially dangerous. I urge you to stop the deportations of individuals to Haiti at this time during COVID-19 in the interest of public health and stability in Haiti."
Haitian health experts estimate that the country, with a population of 11 million, has only 39 physicians to manage COVID-19, 124 ICU beds and the capacity to ventilate 62 people, Wenski said.