Uruguay reported 20 coronavirus daily deaths, lowest in past 3 months (June 27)

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Sunday, June 27, Uruguay registered 20 coronavirus deaths, the lowest figure since March 29, bringing the total number of deaths since the start of the pandemic to 5,494, according to the National Emergency System’s (SINAE) daily report.

In addition, 1,027 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus were detected after 9,997 tests were performed. With these latest data, Uruguay now totals 365,866 cases since the start of the health emergency, declared in the country on March 13, 2020, of which 17,878 are people currently infected, 308 of them hospitalized in Intensive Treatment Centers (CTI).

In addition, the country is in the red zone according to the Harvard index, having accumulated over 25 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the past 7 days.

Last Monday, museums, closed since March 23, were reopened, and over 70,000 students returned to school in Montevideo and Canelones departments, thus completing the return of primary education, while high schools are expected to reopen in July, helped by the vaccination of adolescents.

Likewise, last Friday, public shows, movie theaters, parties and social events of similar nature were announced to reopen on July 5 in 16 of the 19 departments of the country, while in Montevideo, Canelones and Maldonado it will come into effect 10 days later.

In addition, the country’s borders will remain closed to non-residents, except for diplomatic, personal or economic-labor reasons, with the Executive’s express authorization.

Regarding vaccination, and according to the web monitor developed by the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) until 6.20 PM (21.20 GMT) on Sunday, 644,134 people have been vaccinated with the first dose of the Chinese Coronavac, the Anglo-Swedish AstraZeneca and the American Pfizer, while 1,564,616 (44.17% of the population) have already completed their immunization schedule with Pfizer or Coronavac.

Last Friday, authorities reported that they will again reinforce the requirements for entry into their territory due to the threat posed by the Delta variant of the novel coronavirus, of which no cases have yet been reported in the country.

From now on, people vaccinated or who have had the disease in the 90 days prior to entering the country will have to undergo “a PCR test 72 hours before boarding and then another one on the 7th day after the first test, or, failing that, a 14-day isolation period,” said Public Health Minister Daniel Salinas in a press conference.

“It is not necessary to undergo a quarantine (of 7 days), but waiting for the result” of the PCR is mandatory, he clarified. Those immunized had been exempted from these measures since May 19.

However, non-immunized individuals will follow the same entry measures of negative PCR tests, a 7-day quarantine with a new PCR, or a 14-day isolation period.

The new measures are intended “to address the Delta variant issue,” Salinas explained, calling for “realism” in the scenario of this or other strains that may arise in the future, “because they will enter the country in some way.”

“We must be vigilant, be proactive, but not dramatize the situation,” he said.

First identified in India, where it began to spread in April, the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 is present in at least 85 countries and threatens to trigger a new global wave of the virus.

Faced with this warning sign, concern in Uruguay is once again focused on the dry border with Brazil, particularly at the Rivera-Santana do Livramento crossroads, where a large number of refugees are also entering the country.

In this context, “it is very important to have established a refugee center” in the area, Presidential Secretary Alvaro Delgado said at the conference.

“Uruguay has an agreement with UNHCR, it is a friendly country for refugees, most of them undocumented and without a peso in their pockets. This has increased significantly in recent times. The entry route is this dry border,” he explained.

These migrants, mostly Venezuelans, Colombians and Cubans who cross all of Brazil and enter Uruguay as refugees under international agreements, were formerly accommodated in a temporary shelter which will now become permanent.

In addition to food, hygiene and health care, they will be tested there and, if positive, they will undergo quarantine.

“And all those who test positive will undergo genomic testing to determine the type of strain generating the positive PCR test,” to reinforce monitoring and “safeguard the Uruguayan population,” Delgado said.

Likewise, documentation for their vaccination will be promptly issued.

The authorities also reported the arrival in July of 500,000 Pfizer doses donated by the United States. Uruguay thus becomes one of the first recipients of the 14 million doses that Washington decided to allocate to Latin American countries through the Covax program.

The 3.5 million inhabitants country, which in April and May experienced the worst moment of the pandemic with world records of infections and deaths, is now experiencing an improvement in the numbers due to an intense vaccination campaign.

Some 62% of the population has been vaccinated with at least one of the two doses of Pfizer, CoronaVac or AstraZeneca and 43% have been fully vaccinated.

Source: Infobae