Source: https://www.eldiario.es/society/Guat...018748134.html
Guatemala reaches 289 cases of COVID-19 and reduces curfew hours
EFE - Guatemala
04/20/2020 - 03: 54h
Guatemala reaches 289 cases of COVID-19 and reduces curfew hours
Soldiers and personnel from the Ministry of the Interior gave masks for free to citizens last Thursday in Guatemala City (Guatemala). EFE
The President of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, announced this Sunday 32 new cases of new coronaviruses in the country to add up to 289 in total, including seven deaths due to the disease.
Giammattei reported the new infections in a national chain in which he also ordered the curfew to be reduced in two hours, previously from four in the afternoon to four in the morning and updated as of Monday from six in the afternoon to four in the morning.
The Guatemalan ruler, invested on January 14, also reversed this Sunday the ban on moving between departments that he had ruled on April 5.
According to the new regulations, movement is free in 18 of the 22 departments that make up the territory, but not in Guatemala, Sacatep?quez, Chimaltenango and El Progreso, all located in the central area of the country.
Giammattei warned the population that "we are entering the decisive weeks" to face the health emergency and also spoke of "a debacle in our country" if they cannot cope with the disease, so he urged them to use a mask - Mandatory since last Monday, April 12 - no longer leave home.
"Today, I know that many of us are suffering, but I promise you something: from the Government we are doing everything in our power to contain this disease," added the 64-year-old retired doctor and surgeon.
COMMUNITY CASES
On Saturday, Giammattei announced the detection of a second and third community case of COVID-19 in a village in the so-called Dry Corridor, with which there are already three local transmission infections in the country.
The two community cases were located in the Ixcanal village, 100 kilometers northeast of Guatemala City.
The Guatemalan president asserted this Sunday that of the 32 new positive cases in the last 24 hours, five correspond to residents of the village.
Giammattei said that in the last 24 hours 50 tests were carried out in the village and also reiterated that it is under a sanitary fence.
Ixcanal belongs to the municipality of San Agust?n Acasaguastl?n, in the department of El Progreso (northeast), and is part of the so-called Guatemalan Dry Corridor, a central region that crosses the country plagued by extreme poverty and malnutrition due in large part to the drought of its geography.
In the Guatemalan Dry Corridor, made up of almost 50 municipalities, about two million people live. But only 25 percent have water pipes in their home, according to the 2018 local census.
The sanitary cord in Ixacanal is identical to the one implanted on April 5 in the municipality of Patz?n, in the department of Chimaltenango (center), where the first community case in Guatemala was detected, a 39-year-old man who died this week because of of COVID-19.
The Central American country has counted until Saturday a total of 289 people infected with the coronavirus, including seven deaths from the disease, among which is the first community case.
After the detection of the first positive of COVID-19 in the country on March 13, the president ordered on March 16 the suspension of classes and public transport, in addition to the cessation of work at the public and private levels.
Giammattei, however, retracted a day later and allowed any company that wanted to work as long as it complied with sanitary measures, notified the Ministry of Economy and obtained private transportation for its employees.
With a population of 16 million inhabitants, Guatemala has one of the poorest health systems on the continent, according to international organizations.
Almost 70 percent of the seven million economically active Guatemalans work in the informal economy and must bring daily income home, making it impossible for them in many cases to carry out the quarantine ordered by the Government of Guatemala.
Of the total of 289 infected from COVID-19, 21 have successfully recovered according to data from the Ministry of Health.
Guatemala reaches 289 cases of COVID-19 and reduces curfew hours
EFE - Guatemala
04/20/2020 - 03: 54h
Guatemala reaches 289 cases of COVID-19 and reduces curfew hours
Soldiers and personnel from the Ministry of the Interior gave masks for free to citizens last Thursday in Guatemala City (Guatemala). EFE
The President of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, announced this Sunday 32 new cases of new coronaviruses in the country to add up to 289 in total, including seven deaths due to the disease.
Giammattei reported the new infections in a national chain in which he also ordered the curfew to be reduced in two hours, previously from four in the afternoon to four in the morning and updated as of Monday from six in the afternoon to four in the morning.
The Guatemalan ruler, invested on January 14, also reversed this Sunday the ban on moving between departments that he had ruled on April 5.
According to the new regulations, movement is free in 18 of the 22 departments that make up the territory, but not in Guatemala, Sacatep?quez, Chimaltenango and El Progreso, all located in the central area of the country.
Giammattei warned the population that "we are entering the decisive weeks" to face the health emergency and also spoke of "a debacle in our country" if they cannot cope with the disease, so he urged them to use a mask - Mandatory since last Monday, April 12 - no longer leave home.
"Today, I know that many of us are suffering, but I promise you something: from the Government we are doing everything in our power to contain this disease," added the 64-year-old retired doctor and surgeon.
COMMUNITY CASES
On Saturday, Giammattei announced the detection of a second and third community case of COVID-19 in a village in the so-called Dry Corridor, with which there are already three local transmission infections in the country.
The two community cases were located in the Ixcanal village, 100 kilometers northeast of Guatemala City.
The Guatemalan president asserted this Sunday that of the 32 new positive cases in the last 24 hours, five correspond to residents of the village.
Giammattei said that in the last 24 hours 50 tests were carried out in the village and also reiterated that it is under a sanitary fence.
Ixcanal belongs to the municipality of San Agust?n Acasaguastl?n, in the department of El Progreso (northeast), and is part of the so-called Guatemalan Dry Corridor, a central region that crosses the country plagued by extreme poverty and malnutrition due in large part to the drought of its geography.
In the Guatemalan Dry Corridor, made up of almost 50 municipalities, about two million people live. But only 25 percent have water pipes in their home, according to the 2018 local census.
The sanitary cord in Ixacanal is identical to the one implanted on April 5 in the municipality of Patz?n, in the department of Chimaltenango (center), where the first community case in Guatemala was detected, a 39-year-old man who died this week because of of COVID-19.
The Central American country has counted until Saturday a total of 289 people infected with the coronavirus, including seven deaths from the disease, among which is the first community case.
After the detection of the first positive of COVID-19 in the country on March 13, the president ordered on March 16 the suspension of classes and public transport, in addition to the cessation of work at the public and private levels.
Giammattei, however, retracted a day later and allowed any company that wanted to work as long as it complied with sanitary measures, notified the Ministry of Economy and obtained private transportation for its employees.
With a population of 16 million inhabitants, Guatemala has one of the poorest health systems on the continent, according to international organizations.
Almost 70 percent of the seven million economically active Guatemalans work in the informal economy and must bring daily income home, making it impossible for them in many cases to carry out the quarantine ordered by the Government of Guatemala.
Of the total of 289 infected from COVID-19, 21 have successfully recovered according to data from the Ministry of Health.
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