Uruguay to suspend health emergency over Covid-19

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Uruguay’s president, Luis Lacalle Pou, announced Monday (4) the decision to end the health emergency declared in March 2020 because of Covid-19.

After meeting with health authorities and “based on the information received” about the evolution of the virus in the country, “we have decided to suspend the health emergency,” Lacalle Pou said via his Twitter account. “We will sign the corresponding decree in the next few days,” he added.

The Uruguayan executive had declared a health emergency on March 13, 2020, when the first four coronavirus cases were confirmed in the country.

Within this framework, the government was able to take a series of extraordinary measures to contain the spread of the infection, such as the closure of various activities or the suspension of public events.

Most of these measures were relaxed last year due to a vaccination campaign with high coverage rates. In Uruguay, 80% of the population received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, and 64% received a third booster dose.

“It’s time to make that qualitative leap, but it’s essential for normalization,” Health Minister Daniel Salinas said in a press conference after meeting with Lacalle and hinting that he would follow through with the measure.

“For example, (certain) capacities will no longer be requested in closed spaces. Shows, movie theaters, event halls, and gyms will be at 100 percent capacity,” he stressed.

Nevertheless, he explained that the reference to the use of masks in certain situations, “such as food preparers, health workers, in enclosed spaces with high concentrations of people or on public transport,” will continue to be recommended but not required.

The government had announced Friday the decision to allow vaccinated Uruguayans and foreigners to enter the country without having to present a negative covid result. The PCR or antigen test is still required for people who have not been vaccinated against the virus.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN OTHER COUNTRIES

However, recent developments in heavily vaccinated Denmark, New Zealand, and South Korea indicate an unprecedented increase in new infections and deaths among the doubly and triply vaccinated.

In light of this development, the measures taken by Uruguay to test the unvaccinated and allow the vaccinated to enter freely could be seen as not only ineffective but counterproductive. In fact, it should be the other way around.