Hospital beds opening up as pandemic declines; Cuenca holiday events continue; Covid vaccination / booster update; Historic high school to be restored

Viernes,15/1/2021

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –
Acitivities of the fiestas de Cuenca continue through the month of November. To keep up with them, click here.

Otras cosas –

Titular –

Sueño de clasificar, en firme (Dream of qualifying, firm) – The Tricolor is holding onto 3d place in the qualifications for 2022 World Cup in Qatar after a 1-0 win over Venezuela. <This is sports so any more information is up to you to get.>

Cuenca –

The historic Benigno Malo High School on Av. Solano.

Vacunados con Johnson & Johnson reciben refuerzo (Those vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson receive booster) – People who were vaccinated overseas with Johnson & Johnson started to receive second doses last lunes. The Pfizer vaccine as a booster is compatible and brings effectiveness from 75% to 90%. So far about 1,500 people of the estimated 4,000 have received their boosters in one of 3 health centers set up for these cases. The locations are Paraíso; Número 2 (Héroes de Verdeloma y Nicanor Merchan, diagonal from the parque de La Libertad); and Tomebamba (next to the Manuela Garaicoa de Calderón high school).

The vaccination plan for the different age groups is continuing normally. Children from 11-5 are getting Sinovac at the UPS. The Ministerio de Educación is analyzing the addition of another location to speed up the process. The idea is to immunize 100% of this age group with 1st doses by the middle of diciembre, and 60% of them with 2nd doses given the dates of the return to in person classes. The vaccines for teens from 12-15 who receive the Pfizer vaccination is closing. This age group is being vaccinated at the coliseo Jefferson Pérez. Seniors over 65 can get the AstraZeneca vaccine at various health centers. The booster can be given 6 months after the last shot and seniors must show their vaccination certificate or card and their cédula. Immunosuppressed patients should get boosters of the same brand as the first 2 shots. Vaccinations are continuing for people over 18 who have not received their first doses. The AstraZeneca vaccine is available. About 30,000 people between 18 & 50 in Cuenca have still not gotten their first dose, a “dato alarmante” (alarming statistic). <What do you want to bet that a disproportionate percentage of those hold outs are gringos?>

Informa sobre situación epidemiológica (Report on epidemiological situation) – The Ministerio de Salud Pública (MSP) reported on the period from 29/2/2020 to 9/11/2021. There were 520,296 cases confirmed with the RT.PCR test, 1,333,555 cases discarded, and 102,641 probable cases. Covid deaths this year were 7,891 with 1,329 probables. In 2020 there were 15,490 deaths and 8,303 probables.

Hospital data is as follows. In the public hospitals, 10% of the beds are occupied with no one on the waiting list. Of the 555 assigned beds, 55 are occupied. In intermediate care, 15% are occupied with 1 person waiting. 8 of the 59 beds are occupied. ICU occupation is at 44% with 1 person on the waiting list. 57 of the 130 beds are occupied.

The data for the IESS, armed forces, and police hospitals is as follows: Hospitalization: percent occupied – 20%; waiting list – 4; assigned beds – 277; occupied beds – 55: Intermediate care: percent occupied – 50%; waiting list – 0; assigned beds – 10; occupied beds – 5; ICU: percent occupied – 61%; waiting list – 0; assigned beds – 88; occupied beds – 54; The data for the Complementary Private Network hospitals is as follows; Hospitalization: percent occupied – 16%; waiting list – 0; assigned beds – 383; occupied beds – 62; Intermediate care: percent occupied – 0%; waiting list – 0; assigned beds – 11; occupied beds – 0; ICU: percent occupied – 15%; waiting list – 0; assigned beds – 143; occupied beds – 21.

Nueva oportunidad para visas a EEUU (New opportunity for visas to the USA) – Ecuador has been picked by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services as one of the countries whose citizens can qualify for H-2A and H-2B visas. The H-2A visa allows employers to fill temporary job openings in agriculture and the H-2B is for non-agricultural jobs. Those interested can go to www.uscis.gov for more details. <I’m assuming that there are exactly 0 readers who would be interested so I’m not translating the rest of the article.>

USD 9 millones para restaurar el edificio del Beniglo Malo (USD 9 million to restore the Beniglo Malo building) – The Ministerio de Educación and the Empresa Pública de la U. de Cuenca signed an agreement 4 years to research and develop a proposal for the restoration of the school. The proposal includes complying with basic requirements in the infrastructure, building an auditorium and new teaching blocks, recovery of the green areas, and maybe restoration of the basement. Currently the basement is full of escombros (debris, or junk – your word for the day), and the project would turn it into an art gallery since the school has a nice collection that is not exhibited or badly exhibited. <Item no. 1 – waterproof that basement before putting any art in it.> As a patrimonial structure, the school is as important as the cathedrals in Cuenca.

El 19 inaugurarán el campus Balzay (The Balzay campus to be inaugurated on the 19th) – The U. of Cuenca will inaugurate its new Balzay campus on el 19/11 after several years of work and an investment of over $17 million. The new campus will house the students and administrative personnel for the schools of engineering and chemistry. It will also have spaces for the departments of research for water resources, bio-sciences, and applied chemistry. The relocation of engineering and chemistry will leave space in the central campus for the schools of law, philosophy, and psychology. The new campus will also allow for increasing the student body by 1,000 students in septiembre, 2022.

Regional –

Autopista de los emprendedores (Entrepreneurs Highway) – Along the via Cuenca-Azogues-Biblián, businesses have been opening up in the past few years – especially restaurants, and especially in part of the road in Cuenca. Some of these include “El Mono” which almost closed during the pandemic until owner José Sornoza switched to take out. Sales improved to the point that he added a 2nd floor. Luis Castillo moved from Colombia 17 years ago to provide catering to the camps on federal projects. He opened his restaurant, ” El Royal” in Chaullabambe in 2020. At the side of the highway, at the “Sixto Durán Bellén bridge, Carmen Yanza has “La Tía” which serves grilled meat, mostly to truckers on long hauls to other provinces.

Descuentos y compras –

ETAFashion – Black Friday –  50% discounts on selected merchandize through the whole store with an addition 10% off with direct credit from Plantea ETAFashion.

Tía – Offers on various products – raffle ticket for every $5 in purchases for 4 cars, 10 motos, 240 small appliance comb ybos, 350 – $50 cards, 10 stacked washer>/dryers.

And that’s all for today so la Hasta la próxima semana –

Jeanne