Uruguay: demand a national agreement to deal with …

Uruguayan academics, teachers, politicians and scientists have called on Luis Lacalle Pou’s government for more restrictive measures to deal with the serious situation the country faces, where more people have died in the first 7 April days than in all of 2020.

The group of specialists proposes a “national agreement” against the coronavirus pandemic.

In a joint statement, specialists warned that “the exponential growth of uncontrolled cases with community transmission level 4, places

The country is currently in “red level” in the 19 departments and with an average positivity rate of 18.19%, with a record of active cases (more than 25,000).

In addition, the group pointed out that “there are more than 400 patients with Covid-19 in ICS (intensive therapy), consolidating the situation in the high red risk range, with 48 percent occupancy of specific beds and 71.3 per cent. total number of occupied CTI beds ”.

“During the first six days of April, there were the same number of deaths as in 2020”, underlines the press release, which adds that “45 daily deaths due to Covid-19 now represent 50% of deaths all causes one day in Uruguay “.

The text bears, among other signatures, those of the rector of the University of the Republic, Rodrigo Arim; the director of the Institut Pasteur, Carlos Batthyány; the deputy of the broad front Alfredo Fratti; trade unionists Fernando Pereira and Marcelo Abdala; the former president of the administration of state health services, Marcos Carámbula, and the heads of the Uruguayan Medical Union, Gustavo Grecco, and of the Interior Medical Federation, Patricia Nava.

The group endorsed some of the Honorary Scientific Advisory Group (GACH) proposals, including “closing bars and restaurants, only possible for home delivery”, limiting public attention time in non-essential stores and lowering the capacity “in urban interministerial and departmental transport”.

In addition, they demand “social gatherings limited to cohabitants” and “establish time slots: restriction of movement on public roads from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., except for essential activities, with limitation of leisure activities.

The Lacalle Pou administration is resisting more drastic measures despite demands from the medical and scientific sectors, and although he announced new restrictions the day before, the president confined himself to announcing the extension until May 3 of absence in schools.

Official figures so far show 126,987 infections since March of last year and 1,231 deaths.

The Uruguayan Society of Intensive Medicine reported that 76% of intensive care unit beds are occupied, including 48% of coronavirus patients, but the latter percentage has increased since February 25.