Coronavirus in Uruguay: they are preparing measures to stop …

With coronavirus cases on the rise in Montevideo and Canelones, the authorities of Uruguay prepare a battery of measures to face the pandemic. This week, the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) announced that the testing capacity will be increased, more trackers and he will work with the mayors and the Departmental Emergency Coordination Centers (Cecoed) of the metropolitan region.

The country that was given as an example by the Argentine opposition Regarding the management of the pandemic, characterized like Sweden by a much looser containment than in the rest of the world, started recording a increase in cases in Montevideo, with 435 infections, and in Cannelloni, with 95.

For this reason, this week President Luis Lacalle Pou, Minister of Public Health Daniel Salinas and Undersecretary José Luis Satdjian met. After discussing with laboratories and mutualists, Salinas and Satdjian they asked institutions to triple the testing capacity.

At the post-meeting conference, however, the health minister preferred not to give the exact figures he hopes to achieve with the new arrangements. “I don’t want to be held hostage by the clutches of journalism again,” he said, referring to promises they made at the start of the pandemic, when they said that in the first week by April they would hit 1,000 daily tests, which did not happen.

In view of this request, the newspaper reported The countrymutualism He replied with scruples: although they warn that there is a capacity to increase the testing capacity, they believe that they are not yet in a position to achieve what the authorities are asking for because they are still awaiting payment for examinations carried out in recent months.

The coordinator of the Honorary Scientific Advisory Group (GACH), Rafael Radi, had pointed out that the Uruguayan newspaper a few days before that if the cases “continue to increase, they will need 6000, 7000 or 8000” daily tests, for which they should “build more laboratories.”

“It takes you between 60 and 90 days to assemble a new unit. The testing capabilities are now very good, and we have too many tests for today. But as people from abroad arrive … that’s why we say that the entry of the foreigner must be planned. If 20 thousand people arrive on the same day, we have no way to test them: there is a first bottleneck. I would say that today’s capacity is reasonable and strong for today’s reality, ”Radi said.

The president of Uruguay, meanwhile, remains firm with the policy of openings he has maintained since the start of the pandemic. “Uruguay is fully active, like few countries in the world and for a long time. The opening of the company implied the possibility of more infections“said Lacalle Pou, after the act in the city of Montevideo for the anniversary of the Navy.

“If the opening of society has both personal prevention and solidarity of Uruguayans, there will be no major problems.. In fact, in this second wave of coronavirus around the world, Uruguay has limited cases, ”he said.

Three lines of action

As indicated at a press conference by the Minister of Health, three lines of action have been proposed. The first will consist, precisely, of a “significant increase in testing capacityor to have a head start in this battle. Currently in Uruguay up to 4,600 tests can be performed per day.

The Monday is confirmation of an announcement he made last week stating that 40 trackers will be hired more to reach a total of 114. Additionally, the manager assured that he has two more plans to increase trackers up his sleeve in case “capacity gets ‘overwhelmed’ at some point.” This requires contracts from specialized people, computers, physical places, material resources, ”he explained.

Finally, Salinas announced as third measure joint work with Departmental Emergency Coordination Centers (Cecoed) of Montevideo and CanelonesMeetings to be held this Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

Reduce circles of social contact

According to Uruguay’s National Emergency System (Sinae), on Monday they were detected in the country 74 new cases, including 46 from Montevideo, 13 from Canelones, 7 from Rivera, 5 from Cerro Largo, 1 from Maldonado, 1 from Soriano and 1 from Tacuarembó. Furthermore register of active cases (753) and the deaths of two people were found, two men aged 82 and 89 from Montevideo.

The Sinae report included, once again, the demand of the health authorities to reduce “the circles of social contact and the time of meetings”, in addition to “the permanent use of masks, physical distancing, ventilation and ‘hygiene”.

This Tuesday, President Lacalle Pou will arrive at Melo for action taken after last week’s outbreak. The president of the administration of state health services (ASSE), Leonardo Cipriani, was in the city on Monday and warned of the large number of cases of covid-19 in the capital.

“It goes up impressively”said the official, who underlined the “fast and professional” way in which the Melo hospital, which as of Monday has the capacity to process 300 daily PCR tests, has acted, thanks to the equipment he has received.