Computer chip shortage hits local factories; Lasso talks business in New York visit; Traffic increases as virus fades; Arthritis is side effect of pandemic

Martes, 21/9/2021

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

App para escuchar audiolibros y podcast (App to listen to audiobooks and podcast) – AudioStories is a new format for people to enjoy Ecuadorian authors and is the first app for audiobooks and podcasts from Ecuador with both classic and contemporary literature. The first prototype is available at https://n9.cl/31obd. The following books are available – “Los gagones” by Manuel Muñoz Cueva, the first part of the complete works of Pablo Palacio, “Novelitas ecuatorianas” by Juan León Mera, and “Las leyendas del tiempo heroico” by Manuel J. Calle. The purpose of this first version is for people to navigate and familiarize themselves with the interface and functioning, and then give their opinion. <I suppose you could opine that the audio should be translated into English for the benefit of gringos.> The second phase will be to increase the catalogue of contemporary literature. The project is in the Incubadora Cultural (Luis Cordero y Pres. Córdova), next to the Casa de la Cultura theater. The public can use the app, and listen to the 4 books now available from lunes a viernes, from 10-16:00. <This may be another way to improve your Spanish – buy the print book, and listen and read at the same time.>

Castanier presenta su primera novela (Castanier presents his first novel) – “El higo del sastre,” by Juan Castanier, will be presented el jueves a las 17:00 in the estancia Luis Cordero at the Universidad Católica de Cuenca, located in Uncovia. The book is about the son of a tailor who becomes the Minister of Education, and contains more reality than fiction.

The shortage of computer chips is affecting production at Cuenca electronics factories. (El Mercurio)

Fe a “Virgen de las Mercedes (“Faith to “Virgen de las Mercedes”) – Santa Isabel canton will celebrate its patron, the “Virgen de las Mercedes” in a limited way this week with a novena and masses. The main day of the festival will be viernes with a joyful musical awakening a las 6:00, and a mass in the main church a las 11:00. <Any awakening at 6 bloody a.m. would not be joyful for me.>

Titular –

Empresas afectadas por la falta de chips (Companies affected by the lack of chips) – The effects of the pandemic are being felt in the business sector with a scarcity of chips at a world level. The effect in Ecuador is a delay in the delivery of new vehicles. Tarpuq, a Cuencano business that fabricates circuit boards for companies like Motorola, Blaupunkt, and Nakamichi, is not getting its normal supplies and their cost of shipping has also increased. The Grupo Ortiz has invested $6 million just to fabricate circuit boards. The group usually assembles 400 TVs on normal days, and 1500-2000 during peak demand. <Like Christmas which is coming soon?>

Cuenca –

Culmina internado de Enfermería (Nursing internship ends) – 33 University Católica of Cuenca nursing students finished their internship rotations at the Hospital de Especialidades José Carrasco Arteaga (HJCA).

La artrosis, enemigo silencioso durante pandemia (Osteoarthritis, a silent enemy during a pandemic) – Household routines changed during the pandemic, producing and aggravating illnesses different from Covid. The cause of some of these is sedentarismo (sedentary lifestyle), produced by the lockdowns. Rheumatologists have seen more patients with muscle stiffness and pain, related to arthritis. Normally this is caused by old age and excessive mechanical stress, but is now being seen in people under 50.

Aumento el tráfico vehicular (Increase in vehicular traffic) – As Covid cases have declined in Cuenca, traffic has increased along with the reactivation of commerce, production, education, tourism and other areas. EMOV EP data shows that 65,767 vehicles were registered from enero to agosto this year. In the same period, 102,291 vehicles passed the Revisión Técnica vehicular (RTV). The number of cars and motorcyles in Cuenca is around 122,000. Diego Espinoza said that since the beginning of septiembre, traffic has increased at an accelerated pace which can be seen in real time on Google maps. Manuel Carrillo, a cyclist and activist, said that use of bikes increased from 2% to 8% during the pandemic.

Region –

Nuevo acceso une a 2 cantones (New access unites 2 cantons) – The carretera (road) Uzhar-San Juan-San Bartolomé. This paved road connects Gualaceo with Sígsig and is an alternate route to both Cuenca and Morona Santiago. The $710,000 project was financed by the provincial GAD, cities, and parish juntas. The 22 km. road starts at the intersection with the carretera Gualaceo-Chordeleg-Sígsig, and ends at the intersection with the “Ruta de las Guitarras” which connects to the vía Cuenca-El Valle-Dizla-La Unión.

Nacional –

Presidente busca inversiones para Ecuador en EE.UU. (President seeks investments for Ecuador in the US) – President Lasso met with international businesses in New York to attract investment in Ecuador. 80 businessmen attended virtually and another 12 in person at the headquarters of the Sociedad de las Américas/ Consejo de las Américas (AS/COA). Lasso highlighted the success of the 9/100 vaccination plan saying it was not only a social program, but the first economic program of his Government. Susan Segal, the president and CEO of AS/COA said the organization would work with the country to support the growth plan proposed by Lasso, and support a free trade agreement between the US and Ecuador. To encourage investment, the Ministerio de Energía presented the first of 3 public selection processes to the private sector for the construction, management, and maintenance of various electrical generation and transmission projects which will need $1,861 billion. <Will we be living “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man”?>

And that’s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne
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Editor’s note: Jeanne’s Periodico is a translated digest of news from the Cuenca daily newspaper El Mercurio. If details, such as event dates and times, do not appear in the translation, they did not appear in the newspaper (please don’t ask her for them). The text between the carrots, or guillemets (< … >), is Jeanne’s personal opinion and not part of the news translation.