RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – After a steady increase in the number of fatalities, for the first time on April 1, Uruguay recorded more than 30 in one day, with 35 people dying from causes associated with the SARS-CoV-2.
On April 2 (32), 3 (30), and 4 (30), the number of deaths was maintained, and on the last two days, Monday, April 5 and Tuesday, April 6, all records were broken again, with 45 deaths each day.
The 217 deaths recorded in these six days of April exceeded the 181 recorded in Uruguay at the end of 2020, since the sanitary emergency was declared on March 13 of that year due to the detection of the first four positive cases in the South American country.
Together with 25,309 active cases and 432 people in intensive care (48% of the total number of ICU beds, well above the limit established by the health services as acceptable), these figures have led to movements by the authorities in recent hours.
The President of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou, will hold a press conference at the Executive Tower. After several hours of speculation, the Presidency sources confirmed to Efe that he would address a message to the nation.
The President met Tuesday with the Minister of Public Health, Daniel Salinas; the Secretary of the Presidency, Álvaro Delgado; and the President of the State Health Services Administration (ASSE), Leonardo Cipriani, to analyze the current situation.
Lacalle Pou held his last press conference two weeks ago to announce the closing of public offices except for essential services, the suspension of public shows, the closing of gyms and free-shops on the border, as well as the suspension of social events, in all cases until April 12.
Also, the President announced the suspension of attendance at all levels of education until the same date, which is expected to be extended today.
The Honorary Scientific Advisory Group (GACH), which advises the Government on the pandemic’s management, has been indicating for weeks the need to reduce mobility.
In fact, in their report of February 7, the experts proposed a reduction in the capacity of public transportation, meetings only between cohabitants, teleworking or the restriction of mobility between midnight and 6 AM, as measures to be taken in the current situation of contagion.
Likewise, the GACH analyzed this Monday the P-1 and P-2 variants of the SARS-CoV-2 that recently arrived in the country, and asked the Government for the greatest possible clarity in reporting them.
Source: efe