Lima –
This Saturday Peru became the eighth country in the world with the most infected with COVID-19 in the world.
According to official data, it is close to 200,000 cases – it has 191,000 – and exceeds those detected in France, Turkey, Iran and Germany. In addition to spending the 5,300 deaths since the epidemic reached their territory, on March 6.
The last official report of the Ministry of Health (Minsa) indicated that 4,358 cases of the disease were detected in the last hours, bringing the total number of infected to 191,758.
In this way, with the tens of thousands of tests carried out and the current average of daily infections detected, the Andean country is close to reaching 200,000 cases in the coming days and has already exceeded the 190,000 with which France occupied the eighth position worldwide.
The official information on this Saturday also indicated that the country reached 5301 deaths, after the report of 139 new deaths, although the death rate of the epidemic remained at 2.7%.
Of the total number of cases detected, 9,500 have been hospitalized, 302 more than in the previous report, and 1,062 of them remain mechanically ventilated in intensive care units (ICU), an increase of 21 people compared to the previous day.
The official report also raised the total number of recoveries to 82,731, after indicating that another 3,517 people were discharged from hospitals or completed their home quarantine.
The Ministry detailed that so far 1,173,003 tests have been carried out to detect the disease, between rapid and molecular, 18,535 in the last hours.
Warnings from the Ministry of Health
This Saturday, the Minister of Health, Víctor Zamora, reiterated that citizens are the most important factor in defeating the epidemic, for which he called for the guidelines of social distancing, hand washing and the use of masks to be respected.
During a visit to the Lima district of San Juan de Lurigancho, which reports the largest number of COVID-19 cases in the country, Zamora warned that if these measures are not respected, given the gradual return to productive activities, the impact of the epidemic “is going to be worse” in the country.
“That is why our constant call that these are the only effective weapons we have, then comes the health system,” he declared after reiterating that “the citizen must have sufficient awareness to maintain the three rules.”
The minister also said that the Government is evaluating the evolution of the disease to determine the steps to be followed and analyze whether an eventual extension of the quarantine is appropriate, which began on April 16 and has been established until June 30.
After the Executive declared medicinal oxygen “of national interest”, in view of the great demand of the sick and the complaints of surcharges, the former minister Pilar Mazzetti considered that the entrepreneurs who incur in these bad practices should be considered “traitors to the homeland “
Mazzeti, who heads the official operations command facing the epidemic, acknowledged on the RPP News station that some hospitals in the country may face times when “oxygen is not reaching them.”
The also former Minister of Health highlighted the measures taken by the Government to give priority to oxygen care and said that this will allow keeping a record and making joint purchases “as soon as possible.”
“We have made a tremendous effort from the beginning,” said the official, before affirming that she believes that, given the speculation and the price increase in the sale of medical oxygen, “these people should be accused of treason against the homeland.
“That is clear,” he emphasized before adding that “it must also be recognized that some businessmen have remained very correct” in their sales.
In this same sense, the president of the Council of Ministers, Vicente Zeballos, announced that the Executive decree “will make flexible” the possibility of importing oxygen from neighboring countries such as Colombia, Ecuador or Chile
He added that it will also allow local producers to have a better offer, by prioritizing medicinal oxygen.
Zeballos maintained that the lack of oxygen and the speculation in its price “show the serious disorder in which not only the State is immersed,” but the entire health system of his country, since there have been cases of hospitals that have not optimized use.
The prime minister detailed that Peru has a current demand of 230 tons per day of medical oxygen, but an additional 178 tons per day will be required.
More fans
On the other hand, the National Confederation of Private Business Institutions of Peru (Confiep) delivered this Saturday to the Government a first group of the 237 mechanical ventilators purchased to strengthen the public health system.
The respirators were delivered by the President of Confiep, María Isabel León, in a ceremony attended by Ministers Zeballos and Zamora.
According to the Confiep, 137 of the fans were purchased in China, while another 100 are manufactured in the country by the Peruvian Navy.
In addition, 30,000 masks for healthcare personnel, 1,340 oxygen cylinders, 500 electronic tablets, 40 vital signs monitors, and 140 mattress and pillow kits were purchased.
The contribution of the business union also allowed the delivery of more than 800 “solidarity bonuses” to independent workers and 10,000 food kits. (I)
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