Peru topped 400 COVID-19 deaths in 24 hours for the first time

Peru recorded more than 400 deaths from covid-19 this Sunday for the first time in 24 hours, amid a surge in infections caused by the Brazilian variant of the virus that is spreading across the country, the health ministry reported.

The total number of deaths in 13 months from the pandemic is 57,230, while new infections totaled 7,131, bringing the total to 1,704,757 in Peru, which has a population of 33 million.

The previous record for deaths from covid-19 was 384 and was recorded on April 10, on the eve of the presidential and legislative elections a week ago.

The average daily death rate has risen to 331 in the past two weeks.

The South American country is going through its worst stage of the pandemic and reached a daily record of infections last Thursday, with 13,326 new cases.

This second wave has the health care system working with hospitals at the limit of their capacity gasping for air. There are approximately 15,000 hospital patients and over 2,600 are in intensive care.

Added to the collapse of virtual health is the shortage of medical oxygen and the slowness with which the immunization plan is progressing.

In Lima, 40% of infections are due to the Brazilian variant, according to Health Minister Oscar Ugarte.

To stop the virus, From April 25, the government reimposed a mandatory quarantine on Sundays in Lima and in 41 of the 196 Peruvian provinces, mainly in the Andean region and on the coast, for “extreme risk”..

“We regret to report that infections have not been reduced, and last week the number of people dying from covid increased by 43.9%,” Chief of Staff Violeta Bermúdez said on Wednesday. , during the announcement of the new press. conference restrictions.

Peru has suffered since the end of December from a sustained increase in the number of infections and the dead.

In April, an average of 1,352 infections and 95 more deaths were recorded each day compared to March.

The Sunday lockdown was in effect in March, after quarantine in February in Lima and other regions.

In this context, Peruvians went to the polls to elect the successor of interim president Francisco Sagasti and renew the Congress. In Peru, suffrage is compulsory and the authorities have ruled out postponing the elections.

The candidate Pedro Castillo and Keiko Fujimori will go to a poll on June 6.

In the weeks leading up to the first round, the candidates (18 in total) led rallies with hundreds of people gathered, sparking criticism from the medical union and fears of an increase in infections in the weeks to come.

With information from AFP

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