RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benítez announced on Wednesday, April 29th, at a press conference, that the country no longer has coronavirus patients in intensive care units.
With a population of seven million, the South American country is among the least affected in the region: it has only 239 people infected and nine deaths from Covid-19.
“We can say that today we don’t have a single person in intensive care due to Covid-19,” Benítez said. The president has also launched a virtual platform where the population can monitor the destination of funds earmarked for fighting the pandemic.
Benítez stressed the significance of the role of the mandatory quarantine decision and the shutdown of all non-essential activities, decreed on March 10th, three days after the first case was recorded in the country and even before such measures were recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The mandatory quarantine will be maintained in the country until next Sunday; it allows trips only to markets, pharmacies and banks.
As of May 4th, Paraguay will gradually return to work and leisure activities, albeit subject to social distancing and hygiene measures.
On Monday, April 27th, the government announced that face-to-face classes will be suspended until December in all educational institutions in the country, and that it will keep its borders closed indefinitely.