Uruguay sets new daily record for COVID infections (March 19th)

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Uruguay registered, on March 19th, 1,698 new cases of Covid-19, its highest number in one day, while the Medical Association (SMU) reiterated the need to deepen measures to reduce the physical interaction of people.

In addition, nine deaths occurred, bringing the total number of deaths to 749 in the first year of the pandemic and, in turn, 11,575 people are suffering from the disease, 151 of them in intensive care.

The SMU joined, by means of a communiqué, scientists and politicians who consider insufficient the measures taken by the government to “avoid more deaths in the short term, to reduce the number of cases with their consequent consequences and to avoid the saturation and collapse of the health system.”

It also expressed that the situation merits “eliminating obstacles that hinder immunization vaccination” in reference to the system of scheduling appointments through digital means, which has frequently collapsed since its implementation on March 1st.

The country wants to offer in the meantime accessible and fast testing to all the population and thus help to recover the epidemiological thread as a strategy, until the vaccination has the necessary effectiveness.

Yesterday, infectologist Julio Medina, member of the Scientific Advisory Group of the Executive, classified as timid the actions announced by President Luis Lacalle to stop the spread of Covid-19 in the country, with more new cases per million inhabitants in South America.

The Frente Amplio opposition party called for drastic measures in view of the difficult situation Uruguay is going through and urged the population to get vaccinated.