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The doctor Izkia Sichez, president of the Medical College, criticized the “mixed messages” of a government that, on the one hand, is preparing for a possible “catastrophic” outbreak of the coronavirus in another month, after the Christmas and New Years holidays, and, at the same time, promotes tourism hand in hand with the reopening of borders and programs such as “Third Age Holidays”, which it considers “somewhat disconcerting”.
“We believe that There are some modifications of the ‘Step by Step’ plan that have entered a very questionable area in terms of closed enclosures, which have shown, in international publications, that they are very high risk, such as gyms“, Siches said in an interview with What Remains of the Day, from Cooperative.
“Also in matters of opening of borders, let’s see what happens between now and December 7, but without a doubt it seems like a risky bet, as well as the messages that are made to promote some activities that will undoubtedly produce crowds, such as the New Year or the eclipse that we are going to live in La Araucanía, “said the doctor.
STRENGTHEN RISK COMMUNICATION
Regarding the mathematical models that lead the authorities to predict a “catastrophic” outbreak in January, as the minister advanced Enrique Paris, Siches reported that “today we were able to access the second wave plan, where there are three modeling around different scenarios, emulating what happened in the US, France and other countries “.
The First stage that projects the plan of the Ministry of Health – the “most desirable” – contemplates 3,026 new cases per day, which would translate into the occupation of 2,462 ICU beds (at the peak of the epidemic in Chile there were 3,216 operating beds).
The second foresees 6,600 new cases per day and between 3,300 and 3,500 patients in the ICU. This would already exceed the capacity reached in the “first wave”: it would require some 300 more beds.
At third stage, rated by the Minsal as “catastrophic”, there would be 9,560 new cases per day. This would force to have at least a thousand more beds: “A gigantic challenge”, the minister Paris recognized earlier this Tuesday to El Diario de Cooperativa.
According to the doctor, “we have to have a network prepared to be able to respond to the different scenarios of demand increases, especially with health teams so tired, but, at the same time, two areas must be reinforced: the testing, traceability and isolation strategy, improving the indicators we currently have, but also reinforcing risk communication “.
“We are all tired and I wish we could turn the page, but the Government has the duty to reinforce the message and, also, to have coherence in the different actions that are being carried out, especially what is going to be the summer period and the end of the year parties. I think there have been some somewhat contradictory messages“, Held.
In that sense, the leader of Colmed reproached the fact that “Health is called to the precaution while other ministries are inaugurating gyms or promoting the opening or the tourism”.
“The Government as a whole must be very clear with the citizenry, in which the measures must be maintained and that these are not moments to promote international tourism or to promote national tourism that can cause crowds “, raised the doctor.
“Physical distance has to be maintained here, on the beach or in the pool, in all instances regardless of whether it is cold or hot. I think that we have not been clearly bringing this to the public,” he emphasized.
“THIRD AGE HOLIDAY” PROGRAM, AN “UNNECESSARY” INITIATIVE
Yesterday, Monday, the first lady, Cecilia Morel, announced the return of program “Senior Holidays”, an initiative that, in a new alliance between Senama and Sernatur, will allow older adults to carry out tourism with health protocols as a result of Covid-19 and that was labeled as “unnecessary” by the president of the Medical College.
“It is a very controversial measure, (from the Minsal) they gave us references that it is very limited, that the plan is very restrictive for areas that are in stage 4 with a series of measures, but, without a doubt, promote the concentration of older adults where there may be outbreaks, it seems to us an unnecessary measure at this time “, critical.
