Businesses plan reopening; Gyms propose new rules; Oldest woman to recover from Covid; Cuenca Orchestra performs on YouTube

Miércoles,13/5/2020

Hola, Todos –
Actividades –

De la pagina educación y cultural –

Restaurantes – The Fundación Municipal Turismo para Cuenca is preparing a handbook for food and drink businesses to reopen. It is working with the U. of Cuenca and local researchers to plan strategies to be used in pilot plans. The handbook should be ready next week. The national COE has also prepared a protocol for food and drink management, but the Fundación de Turismo wants to be more specific to account for the differences between businesses. An accompanying photo shows a substitute for distancing in a small restaurant. The tables are separated with plastic dividers. <Kind of like dining in a shower stall. Or how about a clear plastic dome that fits over you and your plate? I think I’ve seen umbrellas like that.>

El lago de los cisnes – The OSC presented a digital performance of Swan Lake Tuesday night on www.youtube.com/user/sinfonicacuenca. You can also hear 9 other concerts they have recorded at that site.

Del cuerpo del periodico –

Gym owners petition to reopen under rules that would not allow those over 60.

Virtual training on transit topics – EMOV is having virtual training for anyone interested in knowing details about the regulations implemented for the current conditions in the country. The first training had 122 people including teachers, students, technicians, business people, and others who wanted to find out more about salvoconductos, sanctions, bio-security and mobility issues for businesses. The next training will be from 18-22/5. If you re interested go to wcabrera@emov.gob.ec.

Race cancelled – The FFC 15K run for the Foundation of Cuenca will be cancelled this year. The race is usually run in abril except in 2016, when it was run in mayo because of the earthquake. How registration fees that have been paid will be handled will be decided in the next few days. The alternatives are that they can be returned via a bank transfer or applied to the next event.

Otras cosas –

Titular – Reinicio de actividades productivas (Restart of productive activities) – The City of Cuenca and the Cámaras of production signed an agreement Tuesto start this week. The Cantonal COE will meet el viernes to see if the city can go to yellow with this agreement.

The chambers for industry, construction and commerce and their members have all promised to abide by bio-security measures when they reopen. <Promises, promises, and your check is in the mail.> The chambers of production have promised a strategy of gradual and massive testing, disinfecting spaces, distancing, and working at 50% of capacity. Due to the low availability of tests, businesses with up to 50 employees have up to 30 days to give PCR tests with 20 more days for each additional 50 employees up to a maximum of 120 days. Temperatures will be taken daily and each business will have its own bio-security protocol. Many of them are already observing protocols in accordance with the City. The UPS has an agreement with the city to supervise compliance.
The City is in talks with the tourism, services and agricultural sectors to apply protocols that will allow them to return to their work, The COE will meet el viernes to decide if the rest of the population will progress to yellow or remain at red.

Reorganizing mercados – The city will be organizing 45 mercados in both urban and rural sectors of the city to avoid aglomeraciones (crowds – your word for the day) and slow down infections. Currently there are only 12 mercados and plataformas where signage to mark vendors’ spaces, the direction to circulate, and to guarantee a 1.5-2 meter distance between people is being installed. This has already been done at the plataforma de Miraflores with its 532 stalls. In parallel, the city will work with the parish Juntas to organize new areas for mercados such as in schools which are currently unused. Other benefits of many small markets is shoppers don’t have to travel so far, reduced pollution, less traffic and promotion of walking. The city also has a plan for temporary closures of mercados if cases of the virus are detected, such as was done with the 12 de abril and 10 de agosto mercados. The 10 de agosto reopened Tuesday.

La Troncal – The Gobierno Provincial del Cañar has asked Pres. Moreno to declare La Troncal an emergency zone due to its large number of coronavirus cases. If the Government approves the request, there will be controls similar to those in Guayaquil.

Gyms – La Federación Ecuatoriana de Fisicoculturismo y Levantamiento de Potencia (FEFICULP-The Ecuadorian Federation of Bodybuilding and Powerlifting ) advocated before the COEs of each canton that gyms be declared a vulnerable sector, and reopened since they are on the verge of bankruptcy. FEFICULP has proposed a list of 22 bio-security measures which address hours, number of users, appointments, taking temperatures, masks-gloves-alcohol-gel, crowding, disinfecting schedule, and <This one is probably the most important to many of you.> no clients over 60.

Deportes –

What are athletes doing during the pandemic? – The paper has been featuring individual athletes and what they are doing during the pandemic, including fútbol players, Olympic hopefuls, and more. Today features long distance runner Kevin Fáraz. he has been keeping up with his training by using his bicycle to deliver produce grown by his family in San Joaquín who normally sell in Guayas, Manabí and Pichincha. His delivery area covers as far as the track at Miraflores and the Ciudadela Los Ingenieros. Call 098 089 8713 or 096 890 2241 for delivery. You can order radish, Swiss chard, spinach, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, onions, brocolli, cilantro, garlic, peas, beets, ají, celery, parsley, nabo, and more with prices from $.40-.80 and delivery fees from $1.50 to the Feria Libre to $4.00 to Totoracocha.

Internacional –

Spain – The oldest woman in Spain, 113 year old María Branyas, is now the oldest person to survive coronavirus. She was born in San Francisco in 1907 and celebrated her 113th birthday shortly before she fell ill. She lives in a senior citizen home in Olot in Cataluña.

And that’s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne