hospitals on the edge and a long wait for beds

Uruguay recorded 52 deaths from the coronavirus in 24 hours on Friday, the highest daily figure since the start of the pandemic, at a critical time with saturated hospitals in Montevideo, local media and authorities reported in recent hours.

Uruguay lives in the last weeks a significant increase in infections, people in intensive care and deaths from Covid-19.

The demand for moderate care beds in Covid areas of hospitals has increased in recent days and the health system in the capital, Montevideo, has been saturated, according to the Uruguayan newspaper. The country.

“There are patients at the emergency doors of health centers wait more than 24 hours to be transferred to hospitals and there are more than 20 at the gates of hospitals and other places waiting for intensive and intermediate care, ”a doctor told this newspaper.

According to The country, this Friday, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. there were more than 20 patients infected with Covid-19 and others who were not, “who had to wait more than two hours and a half to access a moderate care bed in hospitals in the metropolitan area “.

This was admitted by sources from the State Health Services Administration (ASSE) and by several doctors who suffered the delays.

Although officially, these delays have not been confirmed.

According to ASSE sources who spoke to El País and asked not to be identified, the delays were due to lack of moderate-care (non-intensive) beds in the Covid and non-Covid zones, “especially in Montevideo” but also in Canelones.

More infections and deaths

“52 deaths with a diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 have been confirmed in our country. So far, there are 1,363 deaths with a diagnosis of Covid-19,” the Uruguayan National Emergency System reported on Friday ( Sinae) in his daily report.

In addition, 36 more were added that had not yet been reported. Thus, there are now 1,363 people who have lost their lives due to the coronavirus since the health emergency March 13, 2020.

On Monday and Tuesday of this week, the highest number of coronavirus deaths had also been recorded so far, with 45 per day.

It was also recorded a register of active cases, with 32,342 people with the disease and patients in intensive care with 453.

Uruguay reached a record 3,935 new positives on Thursday and President Luis Lacalle Pou said the country was going through “the worst times of the coronavirus pandemic.”

Lacalle Pou spoke on Wednesday at a press conference to announce the extension, until April 30, of the measures announced on March 23, such as the non-attendance of classes, the closure of “ free shops ”, gymnasiums and sports clubs and the limited hours of bars and restaurants until midnight.

However, he reiterated his intention not to add any other rules to restrict mobility. “We ask that, as far as possible, people move as little as possible,” he said.

Currently, the whole country is in redAccording to the Harvard risk index, and the departments bordering Brazil, Cerro Largo and Rivera, remain the most affected.

According to vaccination807,886 people have already been inoculated with the first dose of Coronavac or Pfizer, while 188,316 have already received the second dose.

Source: EFE and DPA

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