Coronavirus cases in Chile increased by 22% in the last week and the authorities are very concerned

The Chilean health authorities they showed this saturday “Very worried” for him 22% increase in new COVID-19 cases nationwide in the last week and asked the population “Extreme” protection measures ahead of the end of the year parties.

“Unfortunately, the variation in confirmed cases at the national level shows an increase of 22% in the last seven days. We are very worried”Acknowledged the Chilean Minister of Health, Enrique Paris.

For the second consecutive day, Chile registered more than 2,000 new daily cases of coronavirus, after several months around a thousand daily infected, which shows that the pandemic is gaining strength again.

In the last 24 hours, 2,217 infections and 50 deaths, which raised the total balance since the beginning of March to 583,354 infected and 16,101 deaths, to which should be added almost 5,000 deaths who are awaiting a COVID-19 test.

“The only vaccine we have so far is the mask, hand washing and physical distancing. Young people are spreading the virus a lot”Said Paris.

Chile authorized this week Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, the first 20,000 doses of which will arrive before the end of the year and will be used to inoculate health personnel. Mass vaccination is scheduled to take place during the first quarter of 2021.

“Among the countries of Latin America, Chile is the one with the largest number of vaccines considered for its population”, Assured the official.

The city of Santiago, which with seven million inhabitants was in June at edge of sanitary collapse, had been in full gradual opening of the economy for three months, but last week regressed to the second phase in the plan to return to normalcy designed by the Government of President Sebastián Piñera, implying quarantine on weekends and closure of all non-essential businesses.

The authorities will decide next week if they maintain the same mobility restrictions to the entire Metropolitan Region, to which the Chilean capital belongs, or if they lift the measures in some neighborhoods during Christmas, although they already advanced this Saturday than in the rest the country’s night curfew will be extended by two hours, until 2 in the morning.

With 6 million tests since March, Chile is the country that has carried out the most tests per million inhabitants in the region and one of the first worldwide.

On the other hand, Pinera was fined last Friday with the equivalent of about $ 3,500 for not complying with the sanitary provision on the use of masks in public spaces and posing for a photo with passers-by on Cachagua beach.

The president asked sorry for his act and presented a “Self-report” after the image is go viral on social media early december.

The president explained that he was walking alone on the beach near his house in the elegant coastal town of Cachagua when a woman recognized him and asked to take a picture with him. The selfie shows the president and the woman within walking distance, without masks.

Chile has strict rules on the use of masks in all public places. Violations are punishable by sanctions that include fines important and even jail sentences.

WITH INFORMATION FROM EFE AND REUTERS

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