Uruguay announced new restrictions due to advancing COVID-19: schools and public offices will be closed

The President of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou, announced on Tuesday a new round of health restrictions due to the advance of COVID-19 in the country. Among them are the closure of schools across the country and public offices.

The first measure will be in effect until the end of Easter, after which it will gradually return – it will start with the initial system – while the second will end on April 12.. A week ago, the administration suspended the obligation to attend school except for secondary education, for which the measure was not optional.

Clubs, gymnasiums and “free shops” will also close, and amateur sports, public performances, parties and social events will be banned.. Bars and restaurants can continue to be open with authorized capacity but must close at midnight, which means they must close two hours earlier than currently.

The president also announced that at the request of the departments of Salto and Paysandú, the thermal complexes there will be closed until April 12. During a press conference from the executive tower, Lacalle Pou assured that his government had taken the decision “with regret”, but he stressed the need to deal with the increase in infections that “strain” intensive care units.

Therefore, the president announced that 129 new intensive care beds will be added: 35 in private establishments, 10 in the military hospital and the rest of the public sector.

The goal, said Lacalle Pou, is to reduce the mobility of the population. “These are government actions, but they must necessarily be accompanied by individual behavior. Stay in your bubble, with your family nucleus. It escapes the government and this is where freedom is managed in a responsible and united manner.“, He said.

As happened in March 2020, Senior civil servants will see their salaries decrease – between 5 and 20%, depending on the amount received – to allocate this money to a fund that covers part of the expenses generated by the measures. Sickness benefit will also be reinstated for people over 65 who work in the private sector to discourage their face-to-face work.

The announcement came shortly after health officials to announce 1,801 new positive cases of COVID-19, a daily figure surpassed only the day before, when the country reported 2,682 infections. 14,826 people suffer from the disease, including 202 in intensive care. The positivity rate continues to increase and stood at 18.05%. 16 deaths were also reported, bringing the total to 827.

On Monday, the country confirmed the presence of the most contagious Brazilian strain of COVID-19 in seven departments of the country, what Lacalle Pou cited as a reason for the surge in infections. In fact, the border with Brazil is one of the most worrying points for the Uruguayan authorities since the declaration of the health emergency on March 13, 2020.

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