Uruguay has extended the suspension of face-to-face classes “at all levels” until April 9

The government of the President of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou, announced on Tuesday the extension until April 9 of the suspension of face-to-face classes in public and private education centers due to the worrying increase in COVID-19 cases in the country and in the region.

“Due to the health situation in the country, the Ministry of Education and Culture, the National Administration of Public Education and the Institute for Children and Adolescents of Uruguay, in consultation with the Ministry of Public Health and within the framework the provisions of articles 3 and 4 of decree n ° 90/2021, of 23 March 2021, indicate that suspension of attendance at all levels of public and private educational centers across the country, including Child and Family Protection Centers (CAIF), youth centers and children’s clubs , as well as private childcare centers, it lasts until Friday April 9, 2021 “, specifies the official press release disseminated on social networks and by the local press.

Lacalle Pou ordered on March 17 the suspension of the compulsory nature of all face-to-face courses. And a week later he ordered that all schools return to virtual operation as part of the strategy to mitigate the advance of COVID-19 in the country and that this methodology It was originally intended to be in effect until April 4.

On another side, Uruguay surpassed 600,000 vaccinated on Tuesday against the COVID-19 disease, which represents 17% of the population, the vast majority of them with the first dose the Chinese CoronaVac vaccine or the American Pfizer and a small group already with the second from the Asian laboratory Sinovac.

The Web Our world in data shows the number of vaccines provided in each country per 100 people. There with 0.88, the South American country is second behind the United Arab Emirates (1.1) and ahead of Chile (0.86), the United States (0.82) and the United Kingdom (0, 81).

Until, Uruguay acquired 3.8 million doses of Sinovac and Pfizer, of which 1,900,000 are already in the country. In addition, it has registered on the Covax platform, under the aegis of the World Health Organization (WHO), through which some 450,000 doses of AstraZeneca will surely arrive in May. Subsequently, the government finalized the acquisition of 1.25 million additional doses from the Chinese laboratory, which is expected to arrive in May.

Uruguay began its vaccination plan with CoronaVac on March 1 when it created priority groups (teachers, police, military, and Institute for Children and Adolescents workers), albeit due to lower demand. than expected, the remaining doses were destined for the border. with Brazil and the prison population. In addition, the vaccination was opened for the rest of the population between 18 and 70 years old, in the band of which is the President of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou, who received the first dose of CoronaVac on Monday.

On March 12, inoculation of healthcare workers with Pfizer began, a vaccine that is also given at home for the elderly and those over 80 years of age.

Since the start of the pandemic on March 13, 2020, Uruguay has accumulated 99,584 positives (19,246 people currently suffering from the disease, of whom 306 are admitted to intensive care) and 928 deaths.

With information from EFE

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