Monthly Archives: July 2020

Friday, July 31, 2020

As of Friday morning we were all still waiting for an announcement from the government regarding the expected extension of the current State of Emergency which was about to expire.

Early in the morning, all of Peru’s major news agencies reported that Peru’s Minister of Housing, Construction, Sanitation, Carlos Lozada, confirmed that the Council of Ministers will extend the current State of Emergency through August 31 and that focused quarantines are being evaluated including provinces in Arequipa, Tacna, Puno, and Cusco.

Early in the afternoon, a Supreme Decree laying everything out was officially published in the newspaper El Peruano. (see details below)

I’ve been incredibly busy with tons of questions on social media. I hope I’ve been able to answer enough of them satisfactorily, but I know one answer always seems to lead to another question in times like this.

I’ll be honest — I’m really tired and am going to close out today’s report now. I think I’ve reported all the major stuff. I know there will be a lot more details coming.

Stay safe and well!

One of the most important parts of the announcement was the provision that economic activities that had already been approved may continue to be approved, but with restrictions.

Unfortunately, those restrictions will come from the local and regional authorities and there’s nothing we can do except wait.

You can wait for the daily updates to be posted in the late afternoon/early evening, or your can follow me on Twitter (@ExploreCusco) to get immediate updates on breaking news during the day. I use Twitter to share big news that occurs during each day (and a lot is happening right now) and I strongly recommend that you follow me on Twitter to get immediate updates.

You can also follow me on Instagram (@SouthAmericanTraveler) for great photos, but I use Twitter for news updates.

Peru’s State of Emergency Extended Through August 31

All people shall adhere to the curfew hours of 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. each day except in the above listed areas.

In the areas specifically listed above, the curfew begins at 8 p.m until 04:00 am and all day on Sunday.

This is valid through August 31.

Daily COVID Update from Minsa

Late last night the Ministry of Health reported 6,809 new cases of COVID-19 and 205 new COVID-related deaths.

There are 13,438 patients hospitalized with Covid-19, of which 1,421 are in ICU with mechanical ventilation. So far 283,915 people completed their period of home isolation or were discharged from a health facility.

Metropolitan Lima continues to be the area with the highest number of Covid-19 infections, with 196,476 positive cases, and Lima provinces with 17,183 cases followed by the regions of Callao (21,045), Piura (21,069), Lambayeque (17,111), La Libertad (14,936), Arequipa (13,480), Ancash (11,796), Ica (12,213), Loreto (11,292), , Ucayali (9941), San Martín (8565), Junín (7526), Huánuco (6092), Cajamarca (5877), Amazonas (5507), Tumbes (4133), Cusco (4157), Ayacucho (3726), Madre de Dios (3274), Moquegua (2829), Tacna (2733), Puno (2178), Pasco (1855), Huancavelica (1618) and Apurimac (880).

Misc News Highlights

• Cusco’s 75-year-old mayor, Ricardo Valdedrrama, has been moved into intensive care after contracting COVID-19 last week. He currently is not on a ventialtor, but is experiencing severe respiratory distress at Cusco’s EsSalud Antonio Guevara Hospital.

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Please feel free to leave a comment below. I love to hear what people think! If you like this, you can share this page with the links below or even subscribe so that you’ll be notified when I post again. (I don’t sell anything here or get any commission from any place I recommend, so you don’t have to worry about that.)

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Please feel free to leave a comment below. I love to hear what people think! If you like this, you can share this page with the links below or even subscribe so that you’ll be notified when I post again. (I don’t sell anything here or get any commission from any place I recommend, so you don’t have to worry about that.)

Thursday, July 29, 2020

I know everyone is extremely frustrated hoping to find out what’s going on.

As I write this in the early, I’m really surprised that there hasn’t been any kind of announcement about the State of Emergency. I still have a feeling — and it’s just a feeling — that the announcement will be another published tonight and it will be little more than an extension of the regions/provinces that are already under quarantine. Of course, I’ve thought we’d get an announcement for the past three days so what do I know!

I just got home from a lot of errands. While out, I talked to quite a few Peruvian friends here in Cusco and they all think the next Decree won’t be too extensive. It’s interesting that they are far less concerned about it than seemingly is the expat community!

I desperately need some sleep so I’ll probably go to sleep very early tonight and check a little later in the night when the half sleeping pill wears off and I wake up as usual.

I hope everyone’s doing well and staying safe.

You can wait for the daily updates to be posted in the late afternoon/early evening, or your can follow me on Twitter (@ExploreCusco) to get immediate updates on breaking news during the day. I use Twitter to share big news that occurs during each day (and a lot is happening right now) and I strongly recommend that you follow me on Twitter to get immediate updates.

You can also follow me on Instagram (@SouthAmericanTraveler) for great photos, but I use Twitter for news updates.

Daily COVID Update from Minsa

The Ministry of Health last night reported 5,678 new cases of COVID-19 along with 204 deaths — the highly daily report of deaths since June 18.

There are 13,491 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, of which 1,427 are in ICU with mechanical ventilation. So far 280,044 people completed their period of home isolation or were discharged from a health facility.

Metropolitan Lima continues to be the area with the highest number of Covid-19 infections, with 194,179 positive cases, and Lima provinces with 16,985 cases followed by the regions of Callao (20,898), Piura (20,802), Lambayeque (16,954), La Libertad (14,722), Arequipa (13,206), Ancash (11,670), Ica (11,541), Loreto (11,081), , Ucayali (9737), San Martín (8258), Junín (7276), Huánuco (5969), Cajamarca (5560), Amazonas (5298), Tumbes (4090), Cusco (4034), Ayacucho (3611), Madre de Dios (3170), Moquegua (2752), Tacna (2616), Puno (2039), Pasco (1826), Huancavelica (1551) and Apurimac (858).

Misc News Highlights

• EsSalud Executive President Fiorella Molinelli and Defense Minister Walter Martos went to Cajamarca with a technical team and 25 health professionals, including doctors, nurses and technical staff, to join the medical staff facing the COVID-19 in that region. They also brought more than two tons of medical supplies, as well as personal protective equipment (PPE), drugs and rapid tests.
  
  
• Two doctors from Cajamarca and Tocache (San Martín), who tested positive for the new coronavirus, were discharged from the Hospital Emergencia Ate Vitarte!
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• Congressman Leonardo Inga (Acción Popular), president of the multi-party commission that monitors and evaluates the actions of the Executive Branch to deal with the coronavirus, called for speed in the release of the figures on the number of deaths from the COVID-19 in the country.
  
  In an interview with RPP Noticias, Inga said that he urged for an openness to “know the real dimension of the impact of the pandemic in the country”, after the Minister of Health, Pilar Mazzetti, indicated yesterday that the number of current deaths could reach 43,000.
  
  
• As of August 30th, financial institutions and banks that issue credit cards must have at least one card in their portfolio that does not include a membership fee, which must be informed to the client.

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Please feel free to leave a comment below. I love to hear what people think! If you like this, you can share this page with the links below or even subscribe so that you’ll be notified when I post again. (I don’t sell anything here or get any commission from any place I recommend, so you don’t have to worry about that.)

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

With about 2 days left in the nation’s current State of Emergency, there still is not announcement about what will happen when it ends after Friday.

I expect something to be announced tonight or in the morning in the form of an official decree published in the newspaper La Republica, but I also expected something to be announced last night, too, so who really knows anything except they’re running out of time.

In the meantime, The COVID Operations Command of the Cusco Region has called for a voluntary quarantine “until the Presidency of the Council of Ministers processes the request for Focused Quarantine in the Province of Cusco.”

There’s almost no coverage of this as it was announced late this afternoon.

Looks like I won’t sleep much again tonight waiting for something to be announced…

You can wait for the daily updates to be posted in the late afternoon/early evening, or your can follow me on Twitter (@ExploreCusco) to get immediate updates on breaking news during the day. I use Twitter to share big news that occurs during each day (and a lot is happening right now) and I strongly recommend that you follow me on Twitter to get immediate updates.

You can also follow me on Instagram (@SouthAmericanTraveler) for great photos, but I use Twitter for news updates.

Health Minister on Quarantine

Andina News reported that Peruvian Health Minister, Pilar Mazzetti, said today that quarantines focused on some regions constitute a good alternative within the strategy to face the coronavirus pandemic in Peru.

Thus, there is permanent coordination with regional governments for their implementation.

The high-ranking official argued that the Ministry of Health (Minsa) coordinates with the corresponding regional governments the implementation of this measure —taking into account the impact of COVID-19 in certain provinces— in order to reduce the level of infections and deaths from this disease.

“I think it is a very interesting alternative at the moment. The regions request targeted quarantines in certain areas (…). The governors tell us: ‘Here is the problem,’ while the director or regional health manager tells us about the clinical issues,” she expressed.

The Cabinet member said that quarantines focused on some provinces belonging to Cajamarca and Cusco regions have been approved. In fact, since July 26, a localized quarantine has been in force in Cajamarca, Jaen and San Ignacio (Cajamarca region), as well as in La Convencion (Cusco region).

According to Supreme Decree 129-2020-PCM, in these provinces the transit of people will be allowed only for the provision, as well as access to services and essential goods.

Likewise, curfew is in force from 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. the following day. On Sunday, social immobilization is mandatory throughout the day.

Thus, the aforementioned provinces of Cajamarca and Cusco join the following regions: Ancash, Arequipa, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, Madre de Dios and San Martin, where the quarantine is in place, too.

The Minister also assured that —although there has been a slow increase in infections— this does not mean that there is a re-emergence of the epidemic in the country.

“The Situational Room website shows a slow increase in cases, but we are not seeing a large increase in cases that would make us think of a regrowth or something like that, at least for now,” she emphasized.

PeruRail Announces Local Train Service to Machu Picchu

Starting today, the local train service for the district of Machu Picchu and the communities will operate from Monday to Sunday according to PeruRail’s announcement.

The railroad company called on users to buy their train tickets in advance, at least one day before the date of travel, at the ticket offices in Cusco – San Pedro Station and Machu Picchu – Empire of the Incas Avenue, both at the hours of 09:00 to 13:00.

According to the provisions of the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC), all passengers on the local train must wear masks and protectors or face masks on this means of land transport.

As for the luggage service, it will operate in its regular schedule from Monday to Sunday, while the cargo service will operate on Wednesday and Sunday in its regular schedule. Both services will be provided from and to San Pedro station.

Daily COVID Update from Minsa

Last night the Ministry of Health reported 5,288 new cases of COVID-19 and 199 more COVID-related deaths.

The is the highest number of new cases reported in nearly two months and the positivity rate continue to climb as it reached 25.9%.

There are 13,408 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, of which 1,423 are in ICU with mechanical ventilation. So far 276,452 people completed their period of home isolation or were discharged from a health facility.

Metropolitan Lima continues to be the area with the highest number of COVID-19 infections with 192,748 positive cases and Lima provinces with 16,461 cases followed by the regions of Callao (20,841), Piura (20,687), Lambayeque (16,815), La Libertad (14,550), Arequipa (12,859), Ancash (11,536), Ica (11,092), Loreto (10,812), , Ucayali (9598), San Martín (8036), Junín (7105), Huánuco (5756), Cajamarca (5307), Amazonas (5098), Tumbes (4058), Cusco (3923), Ayacucho (3462), Madre de Dios (3089), Moquegua (2627), Tacna (2509), Puno (1932), Pasco (1751), Huancavelica (1513) and Apurimac (840).

Misc News Highlights

• In its first week of reopening, Jorge Chavez airport received more than 26,246 travelers, and made an average of 26 daily flights with more than 20,000 passengers, with Cusco and Iquitos being the most visited destinations.
  
  In addition, there were flights to 15 domestic destinations: Cusco, Iquitos, Piura, Pucallpa, Chiclayo, Trujillo, Juliaca, Cajamarca, Jaén, Ayacucho, Tacna, Chachapoyas, Talara, Pias and Tumbes. The second day of operation registered 80.3% on time flights, but in the last three days on time flights rose to 94%.
  
  
• Public sanitation services in Arequipa will be suspended in the afternoon due to lack of personnel. At least 120 workers in the provincial municipality are in quarantine. Fifty people will be hired to provide the service in the mornings only.
  
  
• The government is making arrangements with Banco de la Nacion to carry out a proposal to open a bank account for all Peruvians when they turn 18.
  
  
• This morning, the Ministry of Health (Minsa) sent a medical team to the Regional Hospital of Moquegua to join the efforts of this hospital to provide treatment to people affected by the new coronavirus. The specialists will also implement the ‘Plan to reorganize and improve the flow of care for Covid-19 patients’ in the region.
  
  The General Directorate of Disaster Risk Management and National Health Defense (Digerd) reported that this team is led by the intensive care physician and assistant executive of the Digerd, César Tejada Bechi, and is made up of two general practitioners, two nursing graduates and a nursing technician.

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Please feel free to leave a comment below. I love to hear what people think! If you like this, you can share this page with the links below or even subscribe so that you’ll be notified when I post again. (I don’t sell anything here or get any commission from any place I recommend, so you don’t have to worry about that.)

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

¡Feliz día! Today is Fiestas Patrias — Peru’s 199th anniversary of it’s independence and a national holiday.

I walked around town this morning and was sad at how empty the central historical district was on a day when it should have been filled with Peruvians celebrating the country’s independence.

I have a strong feeling that we may get an announcement tonight or in the morning in the form of a official decree published in La Republica. These things are far too long and written in very formal, legal terms to be put together at the last minute. With only 3 days left in the current State of Emergency, I wouldn’t be surprised if everything is already complete and ready to go.

I guess that means I’ll be up most of the night again tonight waiting for something!

It seems as if the Ministry of Health is not going to publish their daily updates until late from now on, so I’m going to start sharing them the next day. I’ll continue to post them on Twitter in the evening or early in the morning, though.

You can wait for the daily updates to be posted in the late afternoon/early evening, or your can follow me on Twitter (@ExploreCusco) to get immediate updates on breaking news during the day. I use Twitter to share big news that occurs during each day (and a lot is happening right now) and I strongly recommend that you follow me on Twitter to get immediate updates.

You can also follow me on Instagram (@SouthAmericanTraveler) for great photos, but I use Twitter for news updates.

Highlights of the President’s Message to the Nation

President Martin Vizcarra presented his Message to the Nation today. Here are some of the highlights:

He emphasized once again that he will step down next June 28 when a new President will be sworn in.

He highlighted the effects of the quarantine in which he, as have many others, says hundreds of thousands of lives were saved because of it.

He mentioned the poor state of the health system in March and noted how, for example, the number of ICU beds in the country has increased from 100 to 1500. He also pointed out “The crisis in the availability of oxygen has increased due to the existence of a market with multiple failures. We have acquired 105 tons per day of medical oxygen, so we are gradually closing the gap.”

Vizcarra gave a special thanks to the front line medical workers, reminded the country that acquisition of a vaccine when it is available is a national priority, and stated that efforts are underway to make sure an accurate counting of COVID deaths.

Vizcarra acknowledged that the pandemic has exposed the precariousness of the health system. “For decades, health has not been a priority, for decades health was forgotten and postponed”.

The President announced that his government will allocate almost 20 billion soles for the health sector in next year’s budget. “It is the biggest health investment in history,” he said.

He reported that the strategy of delivering blankets in frost-affected areas was changed. “This year 19 thousand thermal, safe and conditioned homes will be built,” he said.

Vizcarra said his government’s goal is to banish violence against women, for which it will increase the budget for the sector by 572 million. He lamented that cases of violence against women continued during the quarantine, with 75,500 calls to the emergency number recorded.

The President also announced “the approval of a second bonus of 760 soles for 8.5 million households. This bonus will be implemented between August and October of this year.”

An orphan’s pension for children who lost their parents to the pandemic was also announced.

Vizcarra highlighted the implementation of Reactiva Peru, “the largest credit and guarantee program in the history of Peru”. He also mentioned the creation of two more funds for business support to tourism and agriculture.

He said that the recovery of employment in the country is advancing “gradually”, with 42,000 new jobs in June and 129,000 so far in July.

Vizcarra stressed that the reactivation of mining has allowed the creation of 141,000 direct jobs at the national level. “Reactivation is a national objective, there is no health without economy.”

The President said that “our Armed Forces will continue to be in the streets. The joint work (with the National Police) will continue until the end of this year.”

He highlighted efforts against corruption. “The results of the justice reform are already being seen. The National Board of Justice has suspended several prosecutors and supreme judges for alleged irregularities…We have the obligation to advance in the reforms.”

He concluded by addressing the political issues that frequently affect the countries movement forward.

“To move forward, we need to end the petty squabbles…This should be a moment of reflection, let’s think about what is the legacy to the Peruvians of the Bicentennial…We are not only here to take up a position, but to provide a service. This is a long road that we must travel together. In that sense, at the last Council of State we agreed to establish a Road Map for the Bicentennial.”

He then proposed a Peru Pact and said that he will be calling on representatives of Peru’s political parties to come together to initiate it.

“I invite you to build a patriotic pact that, regardless of who is elected as the next president, will lay the foundations of a Peru with basic consensus, which will allow us to consolidate democracy, channel political debate and allow us to move forward as a country, after the Bicentennial,” he said.

He explained that Peru Pact (Pacto Perú) proposes to convene representatives from each of the political parties in order to reach five basic agreements.

The first is to build a unified health system that guarantees the universal provision of this service for Peruvians in an efficient, transparent and equal manner.

The second to guarantee educational quality by eliminating the gap between urban and rural education with access to virtual education at all levels for public and private education, with adequate state regulation.

The third seeks to promote sustainable economic growth and investment and to propose policies that improve the state’s ability to detect and dismantle anti-competitive practices.

The fourth aims to give continuity to the political reform and the justice administration system, while the “fifth challenge” is the fight against poverty and extreme poverty, which implies closing historical social gaps once and for all and making progress in building a more just and equitable country.

“I know that this five-point agenda is ambitious, but I am convinced that it is worth trying,” he said.

COVID in Cusco

After not publishing anything on Sunday, the Regional Health Directorate published new COVID-19 data for the Cusco region and it’s not good.

They reported 742 new cases of COVID-19 over the previous 2 days along with 12 more deaths in that same period.

With the amount of testing dropping, the positivity rate rose up to 15.7% — over 3 times what it was about 2 weeks ago.

The president of the COVID-19 Command, Víctor del Carpio, said that the reproduction factor of the R virus in the region is 1.5, but in districts like Cusco and Santa Ana (La Convención) it rises to 2. This means that an infected person can infect up to two people in the region.

Diario Correa reports that the Cusco municipality ordered the closure of the land terminal and the Ccasccaparo market for 14 days because of those infected.

The head of COVID-19 Command, Victor del Carpio, said they are working to increase the capacity of hospital beds where there are now 30 ICU beds with only 3 available.

Cusco Buses To Return to 50% Capacity

Urban transport will resume its activities in the next few days in the Cusco region, but only at 50% capacity, said the president of the Central of Urban Transport of Cusco, Mario Dalguerre.

He explained that the decision was taken after receiving reports and recommendations from the Regional Health Directorate, which report increased infections and collapse of major hospitals in recent days.

“All of this has generated concern. We are going to return to the previous protocol of taking 50% of the seats. The urban service that we have been providing in these weeks is very dangerous,” said the leader.

Dalguerre said that the fares will depend on each company. In addition, he appealed to the common sense of the users to respect the measures of biosecurity and to move in a correct way in the units.

“If these decisions are being made, it is for the good of our passengers so as not to expose them to contagion. These decisions lead to other measures being taken,” he added.

He also pointed out that the service at 50% capacity will be provided until conditions are adequate in the city so that a safe service can be provided with the guarantees of fighting COVID-19.

Passengers are still required to wear a face mask and face shield. No standing passengers will be allowed.

[As I walked around town today, it was evident that almost everyone was wearing a face shield on the buses — along with a great many people on the street, too. On almost every bus, though, I did see people not wearing one.]

Cusco Has a New Mayor

After the Cusco’s elected mayor was forced from his position due to legal matters and his replacement, Councilman Ricardo Valderrama, came down with COVID-19, Cusco’s new mayor, Romi Infantas, was sworn yesterday.

A 25-year-old economist who served on the Council and was previously an intern in the municipality, she says she will bring innovation to the position.

“In Cusco, Peru, and all over the world, things have happened that no one could have imagined. I entered politics without thinking about the mayor’s office, but with the commitment to work from whatever front I could”, she told Diario Correo.

She stressed that one of the priorities of the local government, outside of the COVID crisis, is bringing the informal economy back into the formal economy so people who have been left out can begin to access programs set up to help them.

“We must understand that to be able to work we need health, it will be useless to earn a couple of soles if we lose our lives, that is why we are working to raise awareness among people while formalizing businesses, it is a pending task that we must finish for the good of thousands of Cusco families,” she said.

Minsa Moves Over 51 Tons of Medical Supplies to COVID Affected Regions

More than 51 tons of medical supplies to attend the Peruvians affected by the COVID-19 were sent to Metropolitan Lima and 20 regions of the country by the Ministry of Health, through the National Center for Strategic Health Resources (Cenares).

These include 1,593,476 units of personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks, disposable surgical kits, surgical gloves, and masks, among others; 488,400 medical supplies, such as antibacterial gel, paper towels, and disposable lancets; and 1,018,535 medicines, including hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, dexamethasone, magnesium sulfate, rocuronium bromide, and furosemide sodium heparin, among other drugs.

Also 495,280 rapid tests and 1578 medical equipment, such as the adult/pediatric pulse oximeters, which are used to monitor patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis.

Part of the shipment departed from Air Group No. 8 to the Huánuco region and included 70,050 PPE, 25,000 disposable lancets, 81,880 medicines, 25,000 rapid tests and 133 peices of medical equipment.

By land, 49,000 PPE, 35,000 disposable lancets, 210,685 medicines, 35,000 rapid tests and 306 medical equipment were sent to Arequipa; Ica 50,600 PPE, 113,850 medicines and 220 medical equipment; Junín 83,000 PPE; La Libertad 277,600 PPE and 37,300 medicines; Lambayeque 18 960 PPE, 27 400 disposable lancet supplies, 69 100 drugs, 27 280 rapid tests and 424 medical kits; Áncash 105 260 PPE, 25 000 disposable lancet supplies, 16 150 drugs, 25 000 rapid tests and 267 medical kits; and Apurímac 1000 PPE.

Similarly, Ayacucho received 52,000 PPE; Cajamarca 240,800 PPE, 30,000 disposable lancets, 23,840 medicines, 30,000 rapid tests and 187 medical equipment; Callao 2,000 PPE and 920 medicines; Cusco 54,700 PPE; Huancavelica 128 550 PPE, 21 000 medical supplies, 10 840 medicines and 20 000 rapid tests; Lima Region 43 260 PPE; and Moquegua 15 000 PPE, 20 000 disposable lancets supplies, 54 190 medicines, 20 000 rapid tests and 41 medical equipment;

In Pasco, 52,000 PPE and 12,690 medicines were taken; Piura 111,000 and 41,800 medicines; Tacna 110,600 PPE and 72,220 medicines; Tumbes 2,800 medicines; and Ucayali 86,000 PPE, 37,000 disposable lancet supplies, 56,915 medicines and 45,000 rapid tests.

Finally, a total of 42,096 PPE, 268,000 disposable lancets, 213,355 medicines and 268,000 rapid tests were delivered to Metropolitan Lima, benefiting various health facilities in the capital.

Misc News Highlights

• The Ricardo Cruzado Rivarola Hospital in Nasca received, as a donation, 4 mechanical ventilators, 20 hospital beds and 1 incubator from the Shougang company to strengthen its response capacity to the pandemic, reported the Ministry of Health (Minsa).
  
  The Regional Health Department (Diresa) also contributed with 2480 Covid-19 discard tests, which are included in the 441 pulse oximeters and 241,000 medical supplies, including medicines, discard tests and Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), which the Minsa delivered to the region last Friday, July 24.
  
  
• According to the latest report from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), poverty in Peru is projected to increase by 9.3%, reaching 25.8% by the end of this year. Meanwhile, extreme poverty will double from 3.7% to 7.6%. Inequality will also increase by 6%.

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Please feel free to leave a comment below. I love to hear what people think! If you like this, you can share this page with the links below or even subscribe so that you’ll be notified when I post again. (I don’t sell anything here or get any commission from any place I recommend, so you don’t have to worry about that.)

Monday, July 27, 2020

The Ministry of Health didn’t issue their daily report on COVID-19 data until 9 pm after releasing it in the mid-afternoon for the past 4 1/2 months. The Regional Health Directorate of Cusco did not release anything today.

Sadly, no matter what time I go to sleep, I’m constantly waking up to check for updates on this and all matters relating to the current situation. [I’m updating the Minsa COVID report at 10:30 tonight after waking up and noticing a report had been made.]

Some kind of announcement is expected in the next day or two about the current State of Emergency which is set to expire on Saturday. There was no meeting of the Council of Ministers today.

Tomorrow is a national holiday — Independence Day. It’s possible that an announcement won’t be made by the President, but will be a public decree published in the newspaper El Peruano which makes any decrees official.

The uncertainty of what lies ahead with only a few days left in the current State of Emergency is frustrating, to say the least.

If you want to help Peruvians who really need help, please consider supporting Amy Crawford’s next project here: Food for Cusco – Ausangate Project.

You can wait for the daily updates to be posted in the late afternoon/early evening, or your can follow me on Twitter (@ExploreCusco) to get immediate updates on breaking news during the day. I use Twitter to share big news that occurs during each day (and a lot is happening right now) and I strongly recommend that you follow me on Twitter to get immediate updates.

You can also follow me on Instagram (@SouthAmericanTraveler) for great photos, but I use Twitter for news updates.

Daily COVID Update from Minsa

Late tonight the Ministry of Health reported 4,920 new cases of COVID-19 and 189 more COVID-related deaths.

The positivity rate of testing has risen to a frightening 24.6% — the highest since June 8.

There are 13,450 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, of which 1,439 are in ICU with mechanical ventilation. So far 272,547 people completed their period of home isolation or were discharged from a health facility.

Minsa apparently is no longer reporting COVID data from individual regions.

Face Protectors Now Required on Buses

Starting today, Monday, July 27, a fine of 420 soles will be applied to drivers, collectors and owners of public transport units that allow passengers to board without masks or face protection, as established by the regulation as a measure to reduce the risk of contagion of COVID-19.

The Urban Transport Authority (ATU) informed that the drivers of the offending transport units will also have their driver’s license withheld, while passengers without such protective elements (mask and face shield) will be removed from the vehicle unit.

Eduardo Melgar, Director of Inspection and Sanction of the ATU, said that transport collectors, as well as all passengers must use face shields while on board the units because, according to the Ministry of Health (Minsa), wearing these implements reduces the chances of contagion.

“A driver who allows passengers to board or remain in the unit without the respective face shield will be fined in addition to having his or her driver’s license withheld,” he said.

According to the protocol issued by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, since last Monday, July 20, passengers are required to wear the face shield in the transport units, in addition to the mask, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But now, the rule also establishes the payment of a fine for non-compliance. [Note: This rule has been mostly ignored in Cusco.]

The Municipality of Lima, in charge of the Metropolitan and complementary corridors, as well as the concessionary company of the Lima Metro, reported that users who do not wear the face shield will not be able to use both transport systems, enter the stations or board the buses.

In Cusco, no standing passengers are allowed and passengers will only board through the front door with face mask and face protector and exit through the back of the vehicle.

Ucayali Requests Quarantine for Three Provinces

The Ucayali COVID-19 Command has decided to request the central government for quarantine focused in the provinces with high infections rate: Coronel Portillo, Atalaya, y Padre Abad.

This decision was taken after a meeting of the authorities that make up the team seeking solutions to curb the advancement of the virus, which also reported on the increase in cases in Ucayali.

Deputy Governor Angel Gutiérrez also reported that in the coming weeks a campaign hospital will be installed and that a laboratory will be implemented for molecular testing. He said that the concern also lies with increases in positive cases in children.

The Ucayali region, according to the latest report of the Regional Directorate of Ucayali, has 18,158 positive cases of COVID-19 with number of cases and deaths increasing.

Police Out in Force on Independence Day

More than 90,000 police officers will guard all regions of the country and ensure strict compliance with the rules during the Fiestas Patrias, Interior Minister Jorge Montoya said today, presenting the “Fiestas Patrias 2020” operations plan.

During the conference held at the Directorate of Police Aviation (Diravpol), the head of the Interior sector emphasized that the mass deployment will optimize the police response capacity and ensure the proper development of official activities to be carried out during the national holidays.

Minister Montoya also stressed that the National Police will make use of high-tech equipment in the operations in order to improve the capacity to respond to crime.

“During the Fiestas Patrias, the NPP will continue with the use of drones and geolocation to detect criminal acts and encourage the timely capture of common criminals, as well as the dismantling of criminal gangs. Likewise, we will intensify preventive patrols,” he said.

The “Fiestas Patrias 2020” operations plan is part of the “Fortaleza 2020” security plan implemented by the NPP throughout the country.

In this way, more than 90,000 police officers and specialized units will be on high alert in all macro regions and police fronts in Peru. Also, of that total, 30,000 agents will guard the streets in Lima and Callao.

Roadside surveillance, preventive patrolling, riot control and operational police intelligence will also be reinforced.

Minsa Looking Into Discrepancies in COVID Data

The Minister of Health acknowledged that there is a “significant gap” in the figures currently handled by the government with respect to cases of the disease.

Health Minister Pilar Mazzetti said on Sunday night that the number of deaths from the new coronavirus nationwide would rise to 25,000, counting the suspected cases of people who died from the disease.

She explained that this sum of suspicious cases was made when taking into account the suggestion made by the commission in charge of updating the number of deaths from COVID-19. He added that this week there will be a new update regarding the number of deaths.

“We have added suspects, for example, today there are 18,000 deaths in total, 7,000 suspects have been added (…) In total 25,000 thousand confirmed and suspected deaths,” said Mazzetti to the Sunday Punto Final.

Mazzetti said there is also a difference with the figures handled by the National Death System (Sinadef), which put the number of deaths from the disease at 43,000. He explained that the gap between the two registries will have to be addressed, as we do not have the capacity in the system to do so at the moment.

“We still have a gap with Sinadef of about 15,000 (…) That gap with Sinadef, as in other parts of the world, is going to have to be cleared up little by little. When we have enough staff and time to do so. Right now it’s not going to be possible, we all have to be clear about that,” he said.

Mazzetti said that in this case a “death analysis” must be performed, which is more laborious because it requires verifying the medical records of all the deceased, in addition to field work for deaths that did not take place in hospitals.

“The death analysis that is done is after, because one has to take the stories and one has to go one by one, if there is a story and then one does what is called a verbal autopsy, talk to the relatives if it has been at home, there you see how many can pass to the final death group,” said the minister.

PeruRail Responds to Charges of Train Crowding

PeruRail, the rail operator that covers the Ollantaytambo-Machu Picchu route in Cusco, spoke out after passengers were reported to be travelling standing up and not maintaining a social distance at the Piscacucho station, where images showed a serious breach in the measures decreed by the government to stop the advance of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) according to La Republica.

“The events recorded on Wednesday, July 22, occurred at the intermediate stop of the Community of Piscacucho, where a group of unidentified people who were not residents of the town forcibly boarded the Local Train, thus violating the indications of limited space and health protocol, in addition to avoiding going through the health control at the Ollantaytambo Station,” the statement said.

In this regard, PeruRail stressed that the local train service, also known as the ‘Tren Macho’ by the locals, is the only means of transport that serves the people of Machu Picchu and the communities located near the railway line on the route Ollantaytambo – Machupicchu – Hydroelectric, so that they can perform essential activities such as food and medicine supply, access to health services, banking and others.

“The residents’ boarding to access this service is done at the Ollantaytambo Station and the Machu Picchu Pueblo Station, where people must obligatorily comply with all the sanitary protocols established by the railroad infrastructure concessionaire to enter these facilities,” the company says.

PeruRail’s local train has been operating since July 8th with 4 frequencies/hours on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays to meet the transportation needs of the inhabitants of these areas.

Misc News Highlights

• More than 500 municipal workers in Arequipa, including public cleaning workers and Public Safety service personnel, tested positive for COVID-19, reported the secretary of the municipality’s Workers Union, Severo Molina.
  
  
• The president of the Medical Federation of Cajamarca, Oscar Julcamoro, rejected the expressions of the Minister of Defense, Walter Martos, who said that the new coronavirus pandemic is under control in this region.
  
  
• The Regional Government of San Martín presented its Indigenous COVID-19 Command that will be in charge of executing actions to protect the inhabitants of the Awajún, Shawi and Kichwa ethnic groups living in that region from the coronavirus.
  
  
• The Ministry of Health sent ten health professionals to implement the ‘Plan for Reorganization and Improvement of the Flow of Health Care for Positive Patients by Covid-19’ at the Honorio Delgado Regional Hospital in Arequipa. The delegation, led by intensivist physician Inés Cárdenas, responsible for the Emergency Operations Center (COE Salud), includes three general physicians, a graduate in Nursing, two technical nurses, as well as two emergency and disaster brigades and a technical collaborator from the COE Salud.
  
  
• The Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for the Crime of Corruption of Public Officials in Ancash revealed that the report presented by citizen Gilmer Asis, about the alleged disappearance of mechanical fans in the Victor Ramos Hospital, is false.
  
  
• The work of installing an oxygen plant in the Ferreñafe Reference Hospital of the Ministry of Health (Minsa), in the region of Lambayeque, has been paralyzed since June 15, which affects the care of patients with COVID-19, said the commissioner of the Ombudsman’s Office, Julio Hidalgo.
  
  
• The General Inspectorate of the National Police is investigating 57 officers from the Lambayeque region for having committed serious offences, according to the head of the Second Macro Police Region of Lambayeque, General Luis Vera.
  
  
• The regional governor of Lambayeque, Anselmo Lozano, has ordered all 182 health facilities to distribute the COVID-19 medical kits, in order to combat the disease from the first symptoms without the need for a rapid test.
  
  
• While tomorrow is a national holiday — Fiestas Patrias (Independence Day) — the day after, Wednesday, will be a normal working day this year instead of being part of the holiday, too. This change was made so that people would be working in order to help get the national economy moving towards recovery.

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Please feel free to leave a comment below. I love to hear what people think! If you like this, you can share this page with the links below or even subscribe so that you’ll be notified when I post again. (I don’t sell anything here or get any commission from any place I recommend, so you don’t have to worry about that.)

Sunday, July 26, 2020

This coming week is going to be a particularly interesting one. The current State of Emergency is set to expire on July 31 so expect an announcement on Tuesday or Wednesday of what will come next.

Of course, that is strictly my expectation with no real idea what will happen this week except that something will be announced. Last time there was no announcement on TV by the President as had been done previously. The government simply published the new Decree and let everyone read it for themselves.

Living in Cusco, it’s obvious that a lot of my focus is on what’s happening here. The local and regional authorities have requested a 14-day return to quarantine, but requests have not been granted before. It’s going to be a nerve wracking week waiting to know if any changes are coming for us as well as the rest of the country.

As evidenced by last night’s major quarantine announcement for four provinces, there could be little, if any warning. The hardest part is simply having no idea what’s coming this week.

You can wait for the daily updates to be posted in the late afternoon/early evening, or your can follow me on Twitter (@ExploreCusco) to get immediate updates on breaking news during the day. I use Twitter to share big news that occurs during each day (and a lot is happening right now) and I strongly recommend that you follow me on Twitter to get immediate updates.

You can also follow me on Instagram (@SouthAmericanTraveler) for great photos, but I use Twitter for news updates.

Quarantine Resumes in La Convención (Cusco) and Three Provinces in Cajamarca

The Peruvian Executive approved the Supreme Decree 129-2020-PCM which, according to RPP Noticias, begins today, Sunday, July 26, and resumes the quarantine in the provinces of Cajamarca, Jaén and San Ignacio in the region of Cajamarca and the province of La Convención in the region of Cusco.

[The end of the quarantine if not listed in the Decree, but I expect it is intended to go through the end of the current State of Emergency lasting through July 31. A review and announcement on any further extensions will come from the President and the Council of Ministers this week.]

According to the Decree published late last night in El Peruano, in these provinces people will be allowed to move only for the provision and access to essential services and goods.

With this modification, the mandatory social immobilization (curfew) will run from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m. and on Sundays the mandatory social immobilization is all day, in the following departments: Arequipa, Ica, Junín, Huánuco, San Martín, Madre de Dios, Áncash, the provinces of Cajamarca, Jaén and San Ignacio in the department of Cajamarca and the province of La Convención in the department of Cusco.

Last Thursday, the COVID-19 command of the Cusco region confirmed that the province has entered phase 4 of the pandemic due to the massive increase in the number of people infected, which now totals more than 300 per day.

In view of this situation, regional and local authorities, as well as civil society representatives, requested the presence of the Minister of Health, Pilar Mazzetti, in the city, as well as the authorization of the closing of borders and the resumption of an absolute quarantine for 14 days.

Although the Cajamarca region had good containment of the new coronavirus until July 13, at present and according to the regional director of Health, Pedro Cruzado, contagion is increasing because the population has left in disorder, believing that the quarantine was over.

The doctor reported that both Cajamarca and Jaén are the cities with the highest number of COVID-19 infections in the region.

A week ago, the COVID-19 Command of La Convención asked the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM) to return to the quarantine in view of the worrying rise in contagion. La Convención has 1330 positive cases and 19 deaths from the pandemic.

Daily COVID Update from Minsa

Late tonight the Ministry of Health finally made their latest update and reported 4,913 new cases of COVID-19 and 199 COVID-related deaths.

This was the highest daily total reported since June 12 and represented a significant increase in the positivity rate to 20.4% — the highest in 8 days.

There are 13,304 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, of which 1,424 are in ICU with mechanical ventilation. So far 267,850 people completed their period of home isolation or were discharged from a health facility.

This is the second straight day that Minsa has not reported regional COVID totals. The latest report has a paragraph saying “The National Center for Epidemiology, Prevention and Disease Control (CDC) is analyzing the discrepancies in the system in order to harmonize information.”

Perhaps that is the reason for no regional reports. For example, there has been a huge difference in cases reported in Cusco — much higher — compared to those reported by Minsa for the region.

Protesters Demand Hospital Demolition Be Stopped

RPP Noticias reports that dozens of residents of the city of Oxapampa, in the department of Pasco, protested on Saturday to demand that the demolition of the hospital in that town be stopped, since they assure that they will be left without medical attention in view of the increase in cases of COVID-19.

They explained that the Regional Government of Oxapampa is planning to build a new hospital and for this they will demolish the structure on Monday, July 27th, despite the fact that it has been working for almost four decades.

In view of this situation, they made an urgent call to the Minister of Health, Pilar Mazzetti, to intervene, since they consider that the Regional Government does not have the will to attend to their request or to stop the demolition of the hospital.

According to figures from the Ministry of Health, the Pasco region had 1581 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, as of Friday, July 24. Given this situation, the protesters asked the authorities to take into account the figures and to suspend for a minimum of 6 months the demolition of the hospital so that patients with COVID-19 can be treated there.

In February 2019, local authorities signed a contract with the Oxapampa Health Consortium for the construction of the new hospital, for an amount of 104 million soles. However, the completion of the contingency hospital was delayed and only recently completed, so the transfer of patients from the hospital was done in a hurry.

The population proposed that the new hospital be built elsewhere, since with all the money spent on the contingency hospital they were able to buy another plot of land, without the need for temporary relocation, while the hospital infrastructure would have been left for the benefit of the community.

The neighbors indicated that the construction of the new hospital will leave more than 87 thousand people without services, during the period of time that the construction of the new medical center demands.

Shops, Restaurants, etc. Now Open at Lima Airport

Some of the commercial establishments that operated inside the terminal are now opening again inside the Jorge Chavez Airport in Lima.. Initially, transport services and commercial premises have resumed their activities, as ordered by the authorities.

“We have established the necessary guidelines for the attention of passengers at Jorge Chávez Airport. The shops have defined the protocols and security measures to safeguard the health of users and prevent the spread of COVID-19,” said Norbert Onkelbach, Central Commercial Manager of Lima Airport Partners (LAP).

Among the retail companies authorized to attend are Britt -Mercadito Gourmet, Banco Interbank, ATMs in the public zone; while in the national boarding zone they will be able to access Starbucks, Britt – Chakana and 365 Deli.

Transport sercices have resumed operations with Direct Taxi, Green Taxi, Taxi 365, Budget, and Hertz along with the official bus of the airport, Airport Express Lima, that will take care of in the route of the Airport to Miraflores and San Isifro. The Hotel Costa del Sol, continues with the service for the attention of passengers.

The stores and services have implemented the option of contactless payment and will soon have the method of payment with QR code, through electronic wallets, to facilitate the transaction process and provide passengers with a better shopping experience.

On the other hand, the company Los Portales, which operates the airport’s parking lot, has just implemented a system of intelligent parking, through the APPARKA application, for the payment of the parking lot by scanning the ticket from the cell phone.

COVID in Cusco

The Regional Government of Cusco (and not the Regional Health Directorate) reported some disturbing numbers in their latest report. They reported 396 new cases of COVID-19 and 10 more deaths in the most recent 24-hour period.

What is especially disturbing is that the positivity rate of testing in that period jumped to 12.9% — by far the highest it has been since the pandemic began.

Fortunately, the region continues to test at a much higher rate than most of the country which is allowing officials to track the virus better. Unfortunately, detail information about where the positive cases are located is still hard to come by on most days.

Business Donate More than 40 Tons of Aid to Arequipa

RPP Noticias reports that businesses have combined to send more than 40 tons of humanitarian aid that is being channeled by the business front “Hombro a Hombro” (“Shoulder to Shoulder”), in coordination with the PCM and INDECI.

The aid consists of 3000 food baskets and 500 hygiene kits that will be given to Caritas to distribute to the most vulnerable population. Five oxygen regulators, 5000 masks, 3300 face shields, and medicines such as Paracetamol, Azithromycin and Budrane (Ivermectin) will also be given to EsSalud.

The Gloria Group, through its companies Cemento Yura, Concretos Supermix, Leche Gloria and Raciemsa, will also start the implementation of a medical oxygen production plant, which will have a production of 25 m3 per hour and will allow to face the great current problem that thousands of families live in the region, valued in US$ 250,000.

“From the business sector we have been working intensely in coordination with the State and the Chamber of Commerce of Arequipa so that Arequipa’s families are not alone in this moment of great need,” said Juan Manuel Arribas Berendsohn, Executive Director of Hombro a Hombro.

Since the beginning of the health crisis to date, Hombro a Hombro has been delivering more than 4,600 tons of humanitarian aid, benefiting more than half a million affected people, working in partnership with more than 80 companies that have joined efforts to support initiatives to help alleviate the crisis caused by the COVID-19.

The Hombro a Hombro business movement is a business front that leads private enterprise efforts for early disaster preparedness and response in Peru and was an initiative of Intercorp, Breca y Gloria. Several private companies have joined this effort, including Alicorp, Arca Continental, Aris Industrial, Backus, Camposol, Copeinca, CBC, EY, Corporación Custer, Ferreycorp, García Sayan Abogados, Gloria, Inkafarma, Interbank, Ipsos, Lima Airport Partners, Minsur, Nestlé, Plaza Vea, Poderosa, Ransa, Rimac, Real Plaza, P&G, Southern, Tasa, V&V Inmobiliaria and Yura.

One US Repatriation Flight This Week

One repatriation flight is scheduled this coming week. Solange Reps Tu Mayorista from Lima to Miami (MIA) on Friday, July 31. Ticketed passengers should contact their airline or travel provider directly for meeting times and locations. For additional information, visit https://pe.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information.

Misc News Highlights

• A mass screening conducted in the town of El Progreso, in the city of Chimbote (Ancash), detected 27 older adults infected with the new coronavirus out of 100 who were tested.
  
  
• The Ministry of Health reported that yesterday it began the plan to reorganize and improve the flow of patients at the Honorio Delgado Regional Hospital in Arequipa. COVID-19 patients were relocated to hospitalization environments.
  
  
• The Grau wholesale mall in Tacna will close its doors for a week due to the increase of positive cases of new coronavirus. The decision was made by the shopkeepers and officials of the Provincial Municipality of Tacna.
  
  
• Congressman Perci Rivas (APP) reported that the EsSalud II hospital in Huamanga (Ayacucho) faces a continuous lack of medical oxygen for COVID-19 patients and warned that hospital capacity is reaching its limit. He also said that that at this time Ayacucho does not have a medical oxygen plant. He informed that the region is supplied with oxygen bottles from Ica.
  
  
• Jorge Montesinos Espinoza, head of the Puno Regional Health Directorate, tested positive for the new coronavirus. The doctor and five other workers are in social isolation.
  
  
• A total of 2,700,707 people are likely to be infected with COVID-19, representing 25.3% of the population of Lima and Callao, according to a survey conducted by the National Center for Epidemiology, Prevention and Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institute of Health (INS).
  
  The suspected prevalence of COVID-19 was similar among men (21.2%: 17.9%-24.6%) and women (21.9%: 18.8%-25.0%), and higher among adolescents 24.3% (17.8%-30.8%) and young people 23.1% (18.6%-27.7%).
  
  The areas with the highest proportion of infection are: Callao 30.0% (19.8%-40.1%), Northern Lima 28.7% (22.6%-34.9%) and Eastern Lima 24.4% (17.5%-31.4%). In addition, the prevalence in Central Lima was 23.1% (17.9%-28.3%) and in Southern Lima 23.3% (18.2%-28.4%).
  
  
• According to a study conducted by the Loreto Health Directorate (Diresa) and the Ministry of Health, in the city of Iquitos (Loreto region), 71% of the population contracted the COVID-19; however, the vast majority overcame the disease.
  
  
• EsSalud Cusco will report patients recovered from COVID-19 who received home treatment with medical oxygen and who have not returned the oxygen bottles to date. Apparently there are a number of recovered patients who have not returned the bottles for use by others.
  
  
• The Municipality of Lima launched the virtual sales channel for the reservation of tickets to the Pantanos de Villa This will allow residents to purchase their tickets to enter the protected natural area, in advance and without waiting in line, when it reopens its doors to the public.

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Please feel free to leave a comment below. I love to hear what people think! If you like this, you can share this page with the links below or even subscribe so that you’ll be notified when I post again. (I don’t sell anything here or get any commission from any place I recommend, so you don’t have to worry about that.)

Saturday, July 25, 2020

Cusco Leaders Hit With COVID

The Provincial Municipality of Cusco, confirmed that the Cusco mayor, Ricardo Valderrama, was positive. The regional prefect, Julio Cesar Hancco, and the sub-prefect of Cusco, Nestor Larico, are also infected. The director of the VII Macro Police Region of Cusco, General PNP Victor Patiño, also tested positive yesterday.

A few days ago the regional governor, Jean Paul Benavente, asked for a leave of absence from his duties also when he tested positive.

Latest on Cusco’s Request for Resumption of Quarantine

RPP Noticias is reporting that the COVID-19 Command in Cusco proposed a request to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers for the order of a mandatory dry quarantine for the provinces of Cusco and La Convención, the two provinces most affected by the disease.

This information was confirmed by Dr. Victor del Carpio, president of the COVID-19 Command in Cusco, who indicated that the request was already approved by the members of the command, regional and even local authorities and that in principle it will be for a period of 14 days.

“This measure is taken into account in light of the epidemiological analysis and the increase in the number of cases, Gore [Regional Government] will take action at the national level together with the COVID-19 Command, this targeted quarantine has been unanimously approved,” he said.

The request was sent yesterday to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and also included the restriction of land and air transport.

This morning RPP also reports that Health Minister Pilar Mazzetti acknowledged that the number of COVID-19 cases in the country will continue to rise despite the Government’s efforts. Before leaving with a delegation of the Executive to Arequipa, a region affected by the increase in cases of this disease, the minister said that the Government will evaluate intervening in some regions affected by the new coronavirus; however, she ruled out that this measure will be applied generally.

“The numbers continue to increase and will continue to increase. We Peruvians have to learn that our life has changed, that our country is no longer what it used to be and that we all have to collaborate because in the world there is no country that has not been damaged and there is no health system that can resist. Where necessary we will make the necessary interventions, but the most important thing is that we learn. Are we going to intervene in 80 regions? Excuse me, but we are not. When you intervene in one region, the other regions have reacted and brought themselves up to standard,” she said in statements to the press.

Daily COVID Update from Minsa

The Ministry of Health reported 3,923 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon along with 187 COVID-related deaths. The positivity rate for the new report was 17.56% — the lowest in nearly two weeks!

(Strangely, other statistics from Minsa were not reported. If they are released, I’ll add them to this part and update.)

COVID in Cusco

The Regional Health Directorate (Diresa) released a lot of information this morning which makes it easier to evaluate the actual progress of COVID across the region.

Diresa reported 245 new cases of COVID-19 and three more deaths. They number of tests was less and the positivity rate for the latest report remained unchanged at 11.1%.

Diresa also released detailed case reports for each of Cusco’s provinces and districts for the first time in 6 days revealing more information about where the recent cases are concentrated.

As expected, the Cusco province has the majority of new cases (1223) and deaths (19) over the previous 6-day period. La Convencion (Quillabamba) also recorded a disturbing number of new cases (220) for a province with only about 150,000 residents.

Other provinces averaging more than 2 new cases a day were Quispicanchi (36 total cases), Anta (28), Canchis (24), Calca (18), Espinar (15), and Urubamba (13).

Here are all of the districts within the Cusco province and their increases over the previous 6 days:

CCorca – 5 to 5 cases (0.0%)
Cusco – 766 to 1143 cases (+49.2%)
Poroy – 20 to 25 cases (+20.0%)
San Jeronimo – 347 to 458 cases (+32.0%)
San Sebastian – 644 to 833 cases (+29.3%)
Santiago – 602 to 895 cases (+48.7%)
Saylla – 15 to 24 cases (+60.0%)
Wanchaq – 755 to 994 cases (31.7%)

Apurimac Requesting Return to Lockdown

In important emergency meeting of Apurimac’s COVID-19 Operations Command and Regional Governor of Apurímac, Baltazar Lantarón Núñez, after a consensus of the members, announced that regional quarantine will be observed starting Monday, 27 of July for 30 days.

A curfew from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am will be enforced as well as a total lockdown on Sundays in order to prevent mass contagion. The health emergency sanitary sanitation was requested by the Regional Governor, Pedro Cateriano, from the President of the Council of Ministers, through Office No. 1041-2020-GR.

They will also request the Regional Council to install Temporary Relief Centers to implement Diresa and EsShealth in the region.

They will sign an agreement for the reception of oxygen from the Cachimayo plant through Diresa and EsSalud. Baltazar Lantarón indicated that they will implement as soon as possible the operation of the molecular laboratory in the Diresa Abancay, increasing the budget to provide protection equipment for health personnel and the construction of care modules for intermediate patients in five provinces and the Curahuasi district via IOARR Projects.

The highest regional authority also announced the possibility of concrete border closures due to the excessive number of vehicles carrying passengers and that in turn increase cases of contagion irresponsibly.

[NOTE: There is considerable question about whether Apurimac has the authority to actually do this without approval from the Council of Ministers. They are requesting approval, but saying it will happen on Monday. Like everything else, this is a developing story.]

President Asked to Take Control of Health Sector in Huánuco

RPP Noticias reports that hospitals in the Huánuco region have collapsed due to the increase in cases of citizens infected with COVID-19, which to date total more than 9,000. Faced with this situation, some representatives of civil organizations and health personnel requested direct intervention from the Central Government.

Denny Ríos Salazar, representative of the group Unidos por Huánuco, told RPP Noticias that up to 21 deaths per day are currently being reported due to the new coronavirus, which is why they have asked President Martín Vizcarra to intervene.

“This has encouraged us to go out into the streets as a collective, to make our voice heard, to tell our countrymen that we are with them… As residents of Huanuco we ask President Vizcarra to take the reins of the city of Huanuco to improve the resolution capacity of the hospitals,” he said.

Rios Salazar criticized the actions of the region’s authorities because there was laziness and lack of leadership in dealing with the pandemic. “We have an indolent regional president who does not care about what is happening. While people were dying and doctors were asking for help with oxygen, he was handing out laptops in all the provinces,” he said.

The leader also reported that they have two hospitals of the Ministry of Health (Minsa) whose infrastructure is deteriorated and they have not been completed to date. In the case of EsSalud, she said that they have had to put up tents in the garage to attend to patients.

He also said that the increase in cases is due to the fact that Huánuco is a poor region and people have not respected the quarantine, because they needed to work.

The president of the medical corps of the EsSalud hospital in Huánuco, Rósulo Narciso Abad, indicated that to date they only work with 40% of health personnel, since many doctors, nurses and technical personnel were infected with the new coronavirus.

“A month ago we have been saying that the hospitals have collapsed — there are no beds, no medical staff, no medicines, no PPE, no oxygen. Since June we have asked for a hospital with 100 beds,” he said.

Narciso Abad said that so far only one specialist and 10 general practitioners have been sent. “We ask Mrs. Fiorella Molinelli not to deceive Huánuco; she is sending us a tent with 100 beds and no staff, no autonomy and no budget.

The doctor pointed out that Huánuco had 4 intensive care doctors, but unfortunately 3 are infected and now they only work with one.

He also said that he agrees with the Executive’s direct intervention; he even pointed out that some time ago they asked for Pilar Mazzetti’s visit. “Now that she is Minister of Health, she asked for a visit to Huánuco,” he said.

In addition to the lack of health personnel and beds, there is a lack of oxygen.

Misc News Highlights

• Airport Express, a very popular bus service from the Lima airport, is now operating again, but at 50% capacity. They are only operating between the airport and Miraflores and San Isidro with airport departures at 12 pm-1 pm-2 pm-3 pm.
  
  
• A group of 20 health professionals, including doctors and nurses, left this morning for Huánuco to join the actions against the pandemic. From the Naval Aviation base, they took with them four tons of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), discard tests and medicines to benefit patients affected by COVID-19.
  
  
• The President of the Council of Ministers, Pedro Cateriano, and the Minister of Health, Pilar Mazzetti, arrived today in Arequipa along with an administrative and assistance team to meet with the regional governor, Elmer Cáceres Llica, and make the necessary modifications to improve the flow of care for COVID-19 patients at the hospital level and at the same time, strengthen the first level of care.
  
  
• The Amazonas region is on the verge of collapse due to the lack of doctors. President Wampis says no medical brigades have arrived in his jurisdiction, while in the town of Mesones Muro the health post has been closed since July 7. The regional director of Health, Gorky Jave, explains that there are not enough staff and they still cannot hire more doctors.
  
  
• Chlorine Dioxide is being sold illegally through social networks as a cure for COVID-19. Unscrupulous merchants claim that this product cures COVID-19, even though authorities have warned that consuming it can lead to death.

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Please feel free to leave a comment below. I love to hear what people think! If you like this, you can share this page with the links below or even subscribe so that you’ll be notified when I post again. (I don’t sell anything here or get any commission from any place I recommend, so you don’t have to worry about that.)

Friday, July 24, 2020

While there is certainly a lot of concern among Cusco’s expat community and the region as a whole about the possibility of the COVID crisis worsening enough the require a resumption of a quarantine, there is still no certainty that new social isolation measures will come.

Such a request was made by the regional government in concert with other regional authorities before without any action being taken by the Council of Ministers. It is possible that, when they meet next week to determine what will happen after the current State of Emergency for the country expires on July 31, a quarantine will be reimposed on the region.

As always over the past 4 1/2 months, we just won’t know until an official announcement is made. And as always, I’m already seeing false rumors being spread on social media. I wold encourage people to ignore posts by people who say “they said…” or “I heard from someone that…” It’s a pretty safe bet that they have no idea what they’re talking about.

Just as I was publishing today’s update, there was a report that Cusco’s provincial mayor, Ricardo Valderrama, tested positive for COVID-19 after a molecular test. There’s no other information, but I should have more on this tomorrow.

Here’a beautiful video my friend Joseph Baca did recently in one of the most beautiful places in the Cusco region and was kind enough to let me share it. It doesn’t have anything to do with the COVID crisis, but it’s still a fantastic video nonetheless and worth watching. I’ve been to this place several times and I promise it is every bit as breathtaking as it looks here! He did a masterful job with this.

Cusco’s COVID Command Requests New Quarantine

Last night Cusco’s Regional COVID Command agreed to request a resumption of the quarantine and the closure of regional borders.

Victor Del Carpio, president of the COVID-19 Command in Cusco, reported that he will ask the government to return to a strict quarantine for 14 days, as well as the closing of borders for the region.

Del Carpio announced that he will submit a request to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers to approve the agreement and the quarantine in the province of La Convención.

“We have made the decision in order to neutralize the virus. Cusco has moved to phase 4 of the pandemic and we are at risk of collapsing just like Arequipa,” he explained.

He also pointed out that, to date, the number of intensive care beds has been increased to 25. He said that 10 modules were integrated into the Antonio Lorena Hospital, which will have 10 ICU beds and 20 Intermediate Care beds. He also highlighted the increase to 20 mechanical ventilators.

The regional governor of Cusco, Jean Paul Benavente, agrees with the command’s position. He also urged the population to continue maintaining preventive measures against the coronavirus.

“Let’s hope that today the request to quarantine the Convention will be granted and that the delivery of ICU beds and mechanical ventilators will be monitored. I’m sure we’ll beat the disease together,” said Benavente.

The population was called upon to take a voluntary quarantine from July 25 to 28, in order to curb the number of infections in the region.

Daily COVID Update from Minsa

The Ministry of Health reported 4,865 COVID-19 and 189 COVID- related deaths this afternoon. The positivity rate for the most recent day rose slightly to 19.5%.

There are 12,920 patients hospitalized with Covid-19, of which 1,389 are in ICU with mechanical ventilation. So far 259,423 people completed their period of home isolation or were discharged from a health facility.

Metropolitan Lima continues to be the area with the highest number of Covid-19 infections, with 185,156 positive cases, and Lima provinces with 15,314 cases followed by the regions of Callao (20333), Piura (20,206), Lambayeque (16,256), La Libertad (13,897), Loreto (10,515), Ancash (10,902), Ucayali (9381), Ica (10,572), Arequipa (11,703), San Martín (7411), Junín (6511), Tumbes (3937), Huánuco (5390), Amazonas (4529), Cajamarca (4785), Madre de Dios (2838), Ayacucho (3170), Cusco (3286), Pasco (1581), Moquegua (2287), Puno (1576), Tacna (2250), Huancavelica (1399) and Apurimac (776).

Javier Vargas, spokesman for the Ministry of Health (Minsa) of the National Infomation System for Deaths (Sinadef), told RPP News on Friday that approximately 22,000 cases of possible deaths from COVID-19 are currently being reviewed.

Vargas said Sinadef recorded approximately 41,000 deaths with medical terms associated with COVID-19. However, he cautioned that those records do not identify the disease with certainty as a cause of death, so they are subject to evaluation. He said that the reviews carried out up to June 17 allowed 3,688 confirmed deaths from the new coronavirus to be added to the official Ministry of Health figure.

Javier Vargas said in the first week of the targeted quarantine, the number of people in the country infected with COVID-19 began to rise, with an increase in the number of deaths in the last week.

He indicated that excess mortality according to Sinadef records, has increased in regions such as Amazonas, Arequipa and Moquegua, as well as a new spike in Callao, where the number of deaths had fallen.

Vargas also said that in the Amazon regions of Loreto and Ucayali, average deaths have returned to pre-pandemic levels. He added that in Lambayeque the excess number of deaths “has dropped dramatically.”

COVID in Cusco

Cusco’s Regional Health Directorate reported 474 new cases of COVID-19 and 9 COVID-related deaths across the region.

Despite the large increase in cases, the actual positivity rate dropped slightly to 11.1%. Cusco continues to do massive amounts of testing (4,254 tests reported just yesterday and 17% of the total for entire country!) compared to the rest of the country. This is a major factor is dealing with the coronavirus as it tells authorities where the virus is concentrated and allows for better contact tracing.

COVID Pressuring the Southern Regions

Puno’s Congressional representatives sent a letter to President Martin Vizcarra proposing the intervention of the Ministry of Health in the health strategy.

The Puno congressmen agree with the Puno Medical Association that the region has lost control of the pandemic and there is no leadership from the authorities. There are no beds in Intensive Care or oxygen bottles in the Health and EsSalud hospitals.

“The situation will be worse and it is necessary to take control from the central level at once. There is no leadership and no coordinated work plan here,” said Midwar Mengoa, dean of the Medical College of Puno.

Congressman Orlando Arrapa said Puno is adrift due to the neglect of local authorities. “All the actions taken so far have been counterproductive,” he said.

The COVID-19 Care Center at the regional hospital, Manuel Nuñez Butron, in Puno collapsed. The 20 beds set aside for moderate and critical patients with coronavirus are occupied. Two additional beds were set up in the corridors for the last patients.

According to the latest Diresa report, 411 people were infected in one day, almost three times the average of previous weeks. There are 6,013 infected in the register, the number hospitalized: 174 in moderate care with 48 free beds and 20 patients requiring mechanical repair in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Only three are available in this critical area. The number of deaths has risen to 102.

The province of La Convención and its capital Quillabamba faces rapid growth in the number of people infected with the coronavirus. The province has declared in a “Voluntary and Conscious Quarantine” from last Wednesday until the end of July. A dry quarantine is being applied by the population and the district authorities and population centers of the province are expected to join in in its entirety.

In Tacna, the rate of COVID-19 positive cases and deaths continues to rise. In 24 hours, 230 new positive cases were recorded, the highest figure ever reported during the pandemic. In the last two days, 13 deaths were recorded due to acute respiratory failure, viral pneumonia and COVID-19 infection.

The last youngest victims were a 39-year-old man and a 46-year-old woman. The public health centres and the two hospitals (Minsa and Essalud) have exceeded their capacity of care with 102 internships, they are moderate patients.

Health authorities have opted to increase the number of beds to where the contingency is foreseen. When the maximum is reached, beds will be taken in private health centers.

A technical team from the Ministry of Health arrived yesterday to strengthen the response. The delegation is led by staff from the Ministerial Office.

40 Tons of Unused PPE and Medicines Discovered in Arequipa

Late last night, RPP Noticias reported that the commissioner of the Ministry of Health in the Arequipa region, Zulema Tomás, reported that 43 tons of medicines and protective equipment were found in the warehouses of the Regional Health Management, which were not distributed in time to fight COVID-19.

The material found would be part of donations made by several institutions and the last batch of medicines sent by the Ministry of Health that were not distributed in time.

Zulema Tomás ordered the distribution of these implements to the doctors and health professionals working at the COVID-19 Reference Hospital.

On several occasions, doctors, nurses, administrative and cleaning staff protested to demand the provision of biosecurity implements to attend to the emergency on the front line. However, no one suspected that this entire batch of products had been stored since the beginning of the pandemic.

In a statement, the Arequipa Regional Government explained that they were not able to distribute the material because 16 workers, who were in charge of distributing these implements, tested positive for the new coronavirus, which would have caused the material to be transferred to health facilities.

The governor of Arequipa, Elmer Cáceres Llica, announced that the officials responsible for the delay in the delivery of all these materials will be sanctioned.

Visitors to Protected Areas Now Required to Present a Sworn Health Statement

Visitors and tourism service providers who enter the nationally administered Natural Protected Areas (NPAs) must submit a sworn health statement, prior to ticket control, either physically or digitally.

The document, published by the National Service of Natural Protected Areas (Sernanp), establishes that the so called “Sworn statement of health and risk factors during Pandemic covid-19” constitutes the format SERNANP-SO-FT-003.

The sanitary protocol establishes that in case the visitor and/or the provider of the tourist service had presented the infection, he must present the document that accredits the respective discharge.

In the case of Regional Conservation Areas (RCAs) and Private Conservation Areas (PCAs), it is indicated that these may provide the presentation of this document for their visitors, if considered necessary.

In the event that visitors enter with a tourism service provider, the latter will be in charge of presenting the physical or digital affidavits of the visitors and staff in charge at the time of entry to the protected natural area.

In the case that visitors arrive independently, they must provide the digital format or print and sign physical formats for presentation at the time of entry control.

Conditions to be met for entry

Visitors and tourist service providers should refrain from visiting, if you have symptoms COVID-19, you need the health protocol.

It is emphasized that visitors and tourism service providers entering the NPAs, RTAs or ACPs shall be required to wear masks.

If visitors enter on their own, they must have and/or take knowledge prior to their visit of how to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, must undergo temperature measurement tests in order to rule out the risk of infection, and must comply with the disinfection procedures prior to entry by the NPA, RCA or ACP, as indicated in the protocol.

It clarifies that if visitors enter with a tour operator, it is the responsibility of the tour operator to ensure that the visitor is aware of how to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Also, each member of the group, including the guide and support staff, shall undergo temperature measurement tests in order to rule out symptoms of COVID-19 and that they comply with the disinfection procedures prior to entry of the PNA, RCA or ACP.

Exceptionally, those tourism activities that include visits in vehicles and that during their journey do not require disembarkation at the NPA, RCA or PCA, the respective Chief Executive Officer or the head of the PCA, as applicable, may evaluate and establish the omission of health control of the visitors and tourism service personnel.

Actions in Case of Suspected COVID-19

The heads of the ANP and ACR, and the head of the ACP, shall coordinate with the Health Directorate closest to the ANP the actions to be taken in case of suspicious cases of COVID-19, and may coordinate the reporting of data on the visitor or his transfer by the health authority.

Restriction on the entry of visitors

If during the temperature control at the entrance of the ANP, ACR or ACP a visitor with a temperature higher than 38° C is detected, the visitor will not be allowed to enter, establish the sanitary protocol. The personnel of the ANP, ACR or ACP will have the authority to deny the entry.

Misc News Highlights

• The Municipality of Lagunas, an hour away from Chiclayo, distributed ivermectin to dozens of neighbors without confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. Municipal manager Javier Ramírez said the drug is being provided to suspected patients. Photographs show people in the district drinking milk in glasses reportedly containing ivermectin.
  
  
• The provincial mayor of Tocache in the San Martin region, Sister Valera Ramirez, told RPP News that 11 of the 12 doctors at the only hospital in the province were infected with the new coronavirus, so only one doctor is qualified to treat a population of 80. Valera asked the Executive for help with the situation in Tocache, stating that until the recent renewal of the Council of Ministers, the former head of Labour, Sylvia Cáceres Pizarro, coordinated actions against COVID-19 with the province. Not they do now know if this assignment continues with Martin Ruggiero, the new Minister of Labor.
  
  
• Peru’s mining sector, the country’s leading economic industry, continues to drive the economy with many companies returning to 100% operation. This plays a huge role in helping to finance the problems in other sectors of the economy brought on by the pandemic.
  
  
• Defense Minister Walter Martos said Friday that the ministers of state are traveling to the regions at the request of President Martin Vizcarra, to verify the warehouses of medicines and biosecurity equipment in the regional health directorates. He said this after the discovery of 43 tons of medical supplies that were not distributed in the warehouses of the Regional Health Management of Arequipa was revealed.
  
  
• RPP Noticias reports that public transport buses in metropolitan Lima are full despite established measures. Through the Rotafono, passengers denounced that the drivers allow the units to go with all the seats occupied and with people standing. In addition, they assured that the price of the ticket has increased.

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Thursday, July 23, 2020

With recommendations of reimposing quarantine upon the Cusco province, it’s important to remember that the month is almost over and the national government will soon be making announcements about what will be happening when the current State of Emergency expires in 8 days.

While most of the country was relieved of the mandatory isolation at the start of the month, a large portion has remained under continued quarantine for than weeks more to date.

While I expect Arequipa will see another extension next month, I also wonder which regions will see the quarantine lifted and if any will see a resumption.

August 1 is a week from Saturday so expect a Presidential announcement sometime in the middle of next week.

Daily COVID Update from Minsa

This afternoon the Ministry of Health reported 4,546 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday. The positivity rate (18.2%) remains about the same as it has for the past 2 weeks without any signs of change up or down.

What did change was the total number of COVID-related deaths which was increased to 17,654 as a result of a classification adjustment that, to be honest, probably makes the official count much more accurate.

There are 12,985 patients hospitalized with Covid-19, of which 1,372 are in ICU with mechanical ventilation. So far 255,945 people completed their period of home isolation or were discharged from a health facility.

Metropolitan Lima continues to be the area with the highest number of Covid-19 infections, with 183,475 positive cases, and Lima provinces with 14,767 cases followed by the regions of Callao (20,184), Piura (20,054), Lambayeque (16,122), La Libertad (13,664), Loreto (10,439), Ancash (10,729), Ucayali (9326), Ica (10,437), Arequipa (11,504), San Martín (7271), Junín (6366), Tumbes (3856), Huánuco (5279), Amazonas (4369), Cajamarca (4663), Madre de Dios (2754), Ayacucho (3101), Cusco (3176), Pasco (1543), Moquegua (2200), Puno (1505), Tacna (2198), Huancavelica (1351) and Apurimac (763).

COVID in Cusco

The Regional Health Directorate of Cusco reported 311 new cases of COVID-19 and 8 more deaths during the previous 24-hour period.

Significantly, the positivity rate continues to climb reaching 11.8% in the latest report. There was no accompanying report on the hospitalization situation today.

Dr. Darío Navarro, head of the Cusco Regional Health Directorate, the Imperial Region should return to a mandatory quarantine, since cases of contagion have multiplied because isolation and distancing are no longer practiced among citizens.

According to the infectious disease specialist and former Head of Cusco COVID Command, Dr. Pablo Grajeda, Cusco has already entered a Phase 4 of community transmission of COVID-19, and recommends a resumption of quarantine for a minimum of two weeks.

Below is a graph produced by Dr. Grajeda that shows the weekly number of cases. What the graph doesn’t show is the extremely low amount of testing done until the last 2 weeks which would likely, of course, results in more positive cases. (I find the positivity rate to be a much more useful measure and, as noted above, it’s also rising quickly.)

Keep in mind, that their recommendation does not mean there will a return to a quarantine. That decision rests with the regional government in consultation with local municipalities and the Ministry of Health.

This afternoon, RPP Noticias reported that Cusco doctors asked to use schools to attend to COVID-19 patients and thus avoid the collapse of hospitals. They report that health professionals in the Cusco region propose that the educational centers be prepared within five days.

COVID in Arequipa

Arequipa still seems to be the current epicenter for COVID-19 in Peru and issues in dealing with local and regional leadership seem to be a continuing problem as the regional governor won’t meet with the officials taking over the region’s COVID response.

The commissioner of the Ministry of Health (Minsa) in Arequipa, Zulema Tomás, said that 40 beds in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) were increased to 54 in the region. However, she regretted that there are no specialized medical personnel to implement it.

The director of the Honorio Delgado Hospital in Arequipa, Richard Hernandez, said Thursday that “to date there are no more patients in the tents” that were installed in the health center’s parking lot due to the increase in cases with COVID-19 in the region.

Zulema Tomas said that all patients who are outdoors will be transferred to the new temporary hospital of EsSalud Cerro July.

“We found 44 patients in the garages, the same day we moved 12 patients, in the course of yesterday we have moved 10 more patients and today we are already to move all those who are at this time in that area,” said Tomas, who has been in Arequipa since Tuesday.

The Governor of Arequipa, Elmer Cáceres Llica, has yet to receive Zulema Tomas who is leading the central government’s intervention team in this department affected by COVID-19.

The director of EsSalud, Fiorella Molinelli, said that on the previous day she accompanied Tomas to the governor’s office after having requested a meeting, but the office apologized for not being able to receive them. “Unfortunately we could not be attended,” she said.

Health Minister Pilar Mazzetti said that both Zulema Tomas and Fiorella Molinelli “are working together so that all the subsystems (of Health in Arequipa) can move forward.”

She indicated that from her sector a conversation is expected to be established with the region’s governor, Elmer Cáceres Llica.

“We hope that in the course of these days, to say between today and tomorrow, the regional governor will be kind enough to talk to Dr. Tomas,” she told América Noticias.

In response to recent statements by Arequipa regional governor, Elmer Cáceres Llica, who asked Congress to pass a law on the use of chlorine dioxide, EsSalud executive president, Fiorella Molinelli, described the request from Arequipa’s highest authority as irresponsible.

“We cannot be irresponsible about giving clinical protocols like chlorine dioxide that have no clinical or scientific evidence [and] have caused poisoning and deaths. No protocol that has clinical evidence can be prescribed, especially by a non-medical person,” Molinelli said.

Protocols for Tourism

The Ministry of Health Press Release — Biosecurity protocols developed in conjunction with the private sector are vital to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They are intended to protect the health of users and workers. These provisions range from hygiene and sanitation, the use of protective equipment, protocols in care areas, among others. The regional and local governments will be responsible for monitoring compliance with these provisions, and for carrying out the necessary verifications and inspections.

The protocols for hostels, tourist guides, and travel and tourism agencies are complemented by the Technical Document: “Guidelines for the Surveillance, Prevention and Control of the Health of Workers at Risk of Exposure to COVID-19”, approved by Ministerial Resolution No. 448-2020-MINSA.

In the case of hotels and food services the measures are the separation of tables at least two meters, the method of care that should be respecting the distance and the implementation of disposable or digital charts are vital to avoid contagion. It is also important to emphasize protocols such as the application of alcohol gel, disinfection of money, constant hand washing, and the use of face shields in the case of care staff.

The role of official tour guides is key, since they must ensure that everyone has the necessary protective equipment, uses it correctly, and complies with official protocols. They must also have additional protective equipment in case of emergency.

Misc News Highlights

• Cajamarca and Jaen are the two focal points of the increase in cases of the new coronavirus in the region, regional health director Pedro Cruzado Puente told RPP Noticias.
  
  
• Police officers intervened in El Tambo district, Huancayo province of Junin, at a clinical laboratory where COVID-19 discard tests were being carried out without authorization. The laboratory called “doce pares” was operating on the second floor of a house and was not in the National Register of Health Service Providers.
  
  
• The Transportation and Communications Commission of Congress approved a proposed bill that would allow telephone users to accumulate minutes and megabytes. That is, the minutes that were not used from the plan the customer has contracted for would have to be accumulated (“rolled over”) so that the user can use it for the following months. This would apply to mobile and fixed telephone services for calls, messages and internet access.
  
  
• Deans of the Medical College, Darly del Carpio, and Journalists, Juan Carlos Berrospi, requested that the Ministry of Health (Minsa) intervene in the health system of the Huanuco region and take control of the management to face the coronavirus pandemic as they have in Arequipa.

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Please feel free to leave a comment below. I love to hear what people think! If you like this, you can share this page with the links below or even subscribe so that you’ll be notified when I post again. (I don’t sell anything here or get any commission from any place I recommend, so you don’t have to worry about that.)