[ad_1]
In order to face the critical peak that is experienced in the department by covid-19, the restrictions were extended for this week.
After meeting with the mayors of the Antioquia municipalities, businessmen and health authorities, the governor (e) of Antioquia, Luis Fernando Suarez, confirmed that from this Monday, April 5 until Friday, April 9, the department will reinforce the restrictive measures in the face of the rebound of the coronavirus as follows: curfew and dry law in the Metropolitan Area of Valle de Aburrá and Valle San Nicolás, of 6 pm to 5 am, every day. For the rest of Antioquia the curfew and prohibition will be every day from 8 pm to 5 am
It should be remembered that among the municipalities that comprise the San Nicolás Valley are Rionegro, El Santuario, Marinilla, El Retiro, Guarne, La Ceja, El Carmen, San Vicente and La Unión, these last two municipalities, according to Suárez, were included by the high lethality of the virus in its territory.
“The new measures we are analyzing have the objective of reducing contacts, cutting the chain of infections and reducing pressure on the health system. Faced with the critical peak of the pandemic, we must act together, we already know how to confront the virus, we must exercise extreme self-care, ”said Suárez.
As for the peak and ID, it will continue to function according to what is established: on even days, people whose last document number is even will be able to leave and those with a document finished in those digits will be able to leave on the odd day on the calendar.
As defined by the departmental government, this last measure does not apply to restaurants or hotels, and it was clarified that the exceptions that the previous decrees have had are maintained, for those who must travel to their places of work, showing the relevant documentation.
In addition, the education sector will have changes in the 19 municipalities of Aburrá and San Nicolás. The departmental president announced that the alternation model will be suspended for two weeks, that is, there will only be virtual classes.
“We made the decision with the mayors of the East and the Metropolitan Area to negotiate with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education so that in the next two weeks there will be no face-to-face activities in public and private schools in these municipalities of the department of Antioquia”, Suárez pointed out, who explained that the measure does not apply to universities.
The departmental president also announced that this Wednesday, April 7, at 7:00 in the morning, new measures will be studied for the weekend and assured that strict quarantines are not ruled out. “We are modeling accordion prototypes like the ones used last year to control the contagion curve. We take the measures, but it is the citizens who have to do the same ”, he said.
For its part, the Secretary of Health of Antioquia, Lina bustamante, pointed out that, as of today, six patients have already been directed to other departments due to the collapse in the ICUs and announced that the suspension of non-urgent surgeries was ordered so that the operating rooms become centers of care for respiratory diseases and thus also release health personnel who can treat covid patients.
“We already have the directing of patients to other departments enabled. We are going to start with the arrival of the Pfizer vaccines for the second stage, which should start this Monday. If we have any respiratory symptoms it is necessary that we isolate ourselves and consult the EPS to be able to cut the chain of infections. We call on EPS and IPS to reactivate telemedicine consultations. We need to reduce mobility in the department ”, said Bustamante.
On the other hand, regarding the operation of the Medellín Metro, Suárez affirmed that the operation for this week will be in accordance with the restrictive measures.
“I insist that the most important thing is personal protection measures. The Metro manager has already defined an operation model in accordance with the restrictive measures, increasing frequencies and trains before closing times, to avoid generating the agglomerations that we have seen in recent days ”.
Thinking about the economy
During the socialization of the measures decreed to stop contagion, Governor Suárez asked the employers to keep teleworking and avoid displacements of employees that are not absolutely necessary.
This call was welcomed by the unions that, with concern about the increase in infections, the occupation of ICU beds and social indiscipline, supported the measures. Consulted by EL COLOMBIANO, Nicolas Posada, director of the Inter-union Committee of Antioquia, confirmed that the measures were shared with the businessmen and described them as “necessary given the current conditions.” In addition, he emphasized that he told the Governor that future restrictions are taken with a balance between health, economy and employment in mind.
“We must also address the informality in the city, which generates crowds and social indiscipline. For the meeting next Wednesday, in which the results of the restrictions will be evaluated, we will ask the Governor that, if the curfew measure continues, it is after 8 or 9 at night, “said Posada.
For Anderson Quiceno, executive director in Antioquia of the Association of Freight Transporters, all measures that have to do with “protecting the life and safety of people are supported”, although he recognizes the negative impact they have on trade.
“Due to the closure of restaurants and shops, between 6 pm and 5 am in the Aburrá Valley, from the Association we calculated a negative impact of almost 10% on the merchandise that had been commercialized in a normal way,” he said.
For its part, Juan Pablo Valenzuela, representative of the Association of Bars of Colombia, Asobares, rejected the measures adopted this Saturday, which according to his own words put the sustainability of the sector in check.
Since the reopening that took place at the end of last year, it reported that 15,000 jobs had been recovered and that about 2,000 establishments throughout Antioquia had resumed activities, but that the new decisions “only cause consternation among nightly entertainment entrepreneurs.”
Virtual classes
One of the questions that parents ask themselves with the new departmental decree is whether or not they will have to send children to school from this Monday, for classes under the alternation model. The answer is no, according to the Antioquia Department of Education and the decree that governs the municipalities of Valle de Aburrá and Valle de San Nicolás.
“We are in permanent conversations with the Minister of Education, with the Vice Minister Constance Alarcon and its technical team so that the procedures are filled in the prudent times and there are only virtual classes in the 19 municipalities where strict measures are in force “, said the Secretary of Education, Alexandra Peláez.
The public and private educational institutions of Antioquia that are not part of the Aburrá Valley and the San Nicolás Valley will continue with their alternation model, complying with the respective measures
[ad_2]
