At a press conference, the ministers of the Executive Branch announced the measures that will take effect from Saturday, March 27 to Sunday, April 4. The Government maintains that it seeks to give a break to the health system, which is collapsed due to saturation of covid-19 patients.

According to a new presidential decree, starting at 00:00 on Saturday, only “minimal and essential movements” of citizens will be allowed for the transfer of sick people or for the purchase of food, from 05:00 to 20:00 .

The Minister of Health, Dr. Julio Borba, indicated that “the health situation is critical, with 100% occupancy of beds in the public and private sectors for severe cases of covid-19.”

Borba said the cases skyrocketed because according to laboratory studies it was confirmed that the Brazilian Manaus variant of the coronavirus is already present in the country. The minister added that although two cases were initially detected, circulation is already community-based.

“One of these people is from Luque, he was admitted to a hospital in Asunción and never left the country,” Borba clarified.

For her part, the general director of Migrations, Ángeles Arriola, said that the borders will remain open. Before inquiries from the press, the authorities clarified that since shops are closed, they estimate that there will be little tourist flow. Arriola also reported that the 13 border posts enabled to date, including the Silvio Pettirossi Airport, will remain open with the current protocol for the presentation of negative PCR for entry into the country. However, he recalled that there will be controls to leave the sanitary cordon, in each border city.

The tightening of the restrictive measures contemplates that the classes go back to being virtual. Short, medium and long distance public transport buses will not circulate between urban centers and the interior of the country, although buses in the metropolitan area will operate normally, according to the new decree.

Restaurants will work only for food delivery and entertainment events and activities are prohibited.

From the Ministry of Sports it was announced that Paraguayan football is not being suspended, which in fact was already taking place without an audience.

“During the 8 days that the decree is in effect, strict controls will be carried out by the National Police with the Military Forces, as well as the Highway Patrol and municipal police,” informed the Deputy Commander of the Police, Victor Balbuena.

Categorized in: