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The fight against the spread of COVID-19 has reached a new level in Panama, as vaccinations ramp up around the country.

This week private hospitals started administering vaccinations for the first time, which should add about 11 doses per week to the national effort. With each step, it is possible to see Panama getting closer to a full, safe reopening.

According to the Ministry of Health (Minsa), more than 3.1 million Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccinations have been administered, El Capital Financiero reports. The government’s Operation PanavaC-19 is clearly having an impact, as the population of vaccinated Panamnians continues to increase.

According to data compiled by Our World in Data, Panama already has one of the highest vaccination rates in the region. In Panama, 54.56 percent of the population has at least one shot, compared to a global average of 29.9 percent. The average in South America is 45.52 percent.

Panama’s rate is higher than many of the countries in the region, including Costa Rica, Mexico, and Brazil.

Throughout the country, there continue to be signs of the vaccination surge. In a five-day period, 14,448 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were delivered in the San Francisco district. On Sunday, 163,200 new doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were delivered. About 681,600 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been delivered to Panama, El Capital Financiero reports.

The Ministry also announced the testing program results at Tocumen International Airport, which shows few cases entering through the airport. According to the Ministry, since October 2020, 197,926 tests have been carried out and a total of 1,783 positive travelers have been detected.

In recent months a total of 264 travelers without a vaccination card or incomplete paperwork were transferred to hotels for three-day quarantines, El Capital Financiero reports.