Bonus payments for the poor, Screening for Covid-19 at Vincete Corral hospital, Restriction removal process, Mexicans panic buying booze

Viernes, 3/4/2020

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

Writing contest – El Mercurio and the Centro de Estudios Sociales de América Latina digital publishing house is calling for authors to participate in the “Testimonios, vivencias o reflexiones sociales ante la pandemia del coronavirus en el Azuay, Cañar, y Morona Santiago” contest. Go to jmcast.blogspot.com for details, and submit your stories to jmcaste2010@gmail.com by 31/5. The works selected will be published by the Estudios Sociales de América Latina and El Mercurio and finalists will receive a certificate of recognition. <Go for it you wordsmiths. Even if you have to run your story through a translating program.>

Otras cosas –

The triage center at the Vicente Corral regional hospital has screened 1,600 patients of which 500 showed respiratory symptoms, but found only 43 who were suspected of having coronavirus. The chief of emergency at the regional hospital said that if people don’t respect the isolation, there is no doubt that hospitals will collapse. The hospital planned for 4 phases of operations. Phase A provided for 7 coronavirus patients which has already been exceeded. Phase B is for 32 beds, and the hospital is preparing for Phase C with 70 beds. As part of Phase C, neonatology and pediatric patients will be transferred to the Hospital Municipal Patamarca in the next few days. Phase D will have 700 beds, but patients will be sleeping on mats in a worse case scenario, “a panorama “al que nadie quiere llegar” (that nobody wants to get to). With the additional beds will be a need for more doctors. Currently there are 32 with another 32 who have been called and trained, but whose contracts were suspended at the last minute for unknown reasons. So far, 5 Covid-19 have died in Azuay and another 13 patients are recuperating at home.

Cuenca’s Vicente Corral Moscoso Hospital

Housing medical staff – El Seminario Mayor in Monay has loaned its facility to house doctors at the IESS hospital so that they have a place to stay and not risk bringing the virus home to their families. 24 nurses at the regional hospital are staying at the Centro de Atención Integral.

Water – The recent rain has raised water levels in the rivers in Cuenca. Water turbidity has caused intermittent cut offs to water service in Sayuausí, Chiquintad y San Pedro. Citizens are advised to stay away from the river banks and that use of the green areas in the linear parks is restricted anyway.

Human Development Bonos – There are thousands who asking how to get the $60 contingency bonus that MIES is offering to people who do not receive the Bono de Desarrollo Humano (Human Development Bonus), who live day to day, and whose income is less than $400/mo. These payments will be made for 2 months – abril y mayo. You can call the MIES call center at 1800 002 002 to find out if you’re on the list of beneficiaries. <I’d be surprised as heck if any gringos are on the list – if you’ve got an investor or retiree visa, you’re way too rich. If you think you deserve this entitlement, you’d better be prepared to some fancy splainin’ – in Spanish.> There are some 400,000 people on the list and people can collect their payments at Banco del Barrio y Mi Vecino locations on dates depending on their cedula numbers.

The Ministry of Social Inclusion is continuing to deliver food kits containing rice, noodles, corn and plátano flour, oil, beans, panela, lentils, salt, tuna, sardines, coffee, jam, crackers, and pasta. There are 8 phone numbers to call to get this kit and volunteers from the Fire Department are making deliveries. <Good to know that there is some sort of safety net for those who need it.>

Possibility of removing restrictions gradually – After 13/4 restrictions on activities could be lifted gradually in certain provinces depending on the level of cases of coronavirus each province has. Some restrictions will continued to be applied nationally such as the suspension of interprovincial transport <So don’t go and book that beach vacation in Salinas for 14/4.>, and large public gatherings.

The director of the Secretaria de Riesgos (Risk Secretary) said that a situation room has been created to work on a geo-referencing tool which will sort provinces into red where there are the most cases and restrictions need to continue, tomate (orange – your color for the day. Naranja is not orange unless it’s for eating.) with fewer cases where more mobility will be allowed, and verde (green) where activities with fewer restrictions will be allowed. <And now…….the answer to your question – what color is Cuenca?> If current levels continue, red provinces will be Guayas, Pichincha, Los Ríos, Azuay, Manabí, Cañar, y El Oro. <So no green light for Cuenca.>

Donations of goggles – Bicyclists, motorcyclists and raquetball players are donating goggles to doctors. To donate, call WhatsApp 098-373.1071 (messages or calls) or call 096-087-4136 or 098-429-1342.

Internacional –

México – People are panic buying alcohol in México because producers and distributors of alcoholic drinks are not included as essential activities, although to date, no cervecera has officially announced a cessation of its activities. <What? No Corona? No Dos Equis? No big deal in the US since they’re supposed to stay on the México side of the wall anyway.> An emergency health decree issued el lunes called for all non-essential economic activities to stop. Authorities announced that they have not decreed a dry law and asked self serve stores to stay open and asked the public to not panic buy. <How would gringos who have to stock up before election weekend fare if Ecuador went dry? More people jumping off bridges into the Tomebamba?>

And that’s all for today so la Hasta ? –

Jeanne