Covid-19 cases drop below 2% in Cuenca; What can you bring into Ecuador duty free? Foreign film festival returns; Old Cuenca recipes on YouTube

Miércoles, 9/11/2022

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

Regresa el cine de Cámara Lúdica (Playful Camera cinema returns) – The 7th edition of the Cámara Lúdica-Encuentros Cinematográficos returned Wednesday night. The festival will run until el 18/11 with 6 sections. Each section will have a series of films from France, Germany, Canada, Chile, Argentina, Spain, Ecuador, Italy, the US, and other countries. Go to www.ecamaralucida.com for the program. All films are free.

Las golosinas de Nydia Vázquez están en YouTube (Nydia Vázquez’s goodies are on YouTube) – Nydia Vázquez is a retired teacher who, at 86, has been involved with culinary research for over 4 decades. She wrote the cookbook “Ashanga” in 2015, and is now demonstrating her recipes on YouTube under her name. Her recipes are those of antaño (the olden days), such as for treats seen at Corpus Cristi in the last century. She was interested in rescuing traditional food, and her son and granddaughter urged her to record her recipes for YouYube. She said she wanted to share her knowledge in whatever medium since she’s not sure how much time she has left. <Not that any of us, including a 3 year old child, knows that. But those of us in our tercera edad are more aware of having less time left.>

86-year-old Nydia Vázquez has posted her Cuenca recipes on YouTube. Some of the recipes date back to the 19th century. (El Mercurio)

From El Mercurio del martes, 8/11/2022 (1 item):
Cuenca tendrá una semana literaria (Cuenca will have a literary week) – The U. of Cuenca is organizing the XIV Encuentro “Alfonso Carrasco Vintimilla” on Ecuadorian and Latin American literature from the 21-15/11 in various venues both on and off the main campus. There will be 6-8 talks each day as well as visits by writers to high schools to talk with teens and youth. The events are free and the program schedule is on https://www.ucuenca.edu.ec/filosofia/encuentro-de-literatura.

Titular –

Sancionados, pero fijos en Qatar (Sanctioned, but fixed for Qatar) – The Tribunal de Arbitraje Deportivo (TAS) confirmed the eligibility of player Byron Castillo — and Ecuador’s football team — in the World Cup but imposed severe sanctions on the Federación Ecuatoriana de Fútbol for violating FIFA rules. The decision is not binding on FIFA, the international football federation, which says it considers the decision a recommendation. <You’re on your own for any more info.>

Cuenca –

Positividad de la COVID es menor al 2% (COVID positivity less than 2%) – The epidemiological situation in Cuenca is heartening since the positivity rate is under 2%. An epidemic is considered controlled when the positivity rate is below 5%. Julio Molina, director of the Consejo de Salud de Cuenca said this percentage will permit review of the Ordenance currently in effect that mandates use of masks in open and closed spaces. <I think the most of the citizenry has already reviewed this Ordenance and decided not to observe it.>

He said that currently there are no hospitalizations and that use of masks can be discarded when there is no increase in cases in the next 2 weeks, taking into account the recent holiday where there was more interaction among people. Andrea Bersosa, Zone 6 Health Coordinator said that there are 10 active cases in Azuay, Cañar and Morona Santiago.

More than the reduction in cases is the reduction in severity of cases, the number of hospitalizations, and the number of days in hospital. Officials are asking people to finish their vaccinations given the small number of boosters that have been given and that there is an ample supply of vaccinations. In Zone 6, 92% have gotten 1st doses, 89% second doses, 49% their 3d doses and 20% their 4th.

With regard to monkey pox, the actual incidence is low. We are in week 44 and no new cases have presented since week 38 which had 21 cases. These patients have been discharged and none required hospitalization.

ETAPA entregó agua a predios de particulares (ETAPA delivered water to private properties) – <This is your corruption scandal for the day.> The Comptroller’s Office is investigating if a tanker truck owned by the municipal business ETAPA was used to supply private properties belonging to an official and his family members 33 times between 2019 & 2020. The properties belonged to the official, his mother, and two others, all of which were in Cañar which is outside of ETAPA’s service area. There was no charge for these deliveries. The official said he was telecommuting and needed to sign various papers, so the tanker driver was sent with the papers. <And since the driver was in the tanker, why not throw a little water on the plants while he was there. Like ETAPA didn’t have a car available – or a pdf of the documents.>

From El Mercurio del martes, 8/11/2022 (2 items):
El censo tiene 70 preguntas y toma unos 45 minutos (The census has 70 questions and takes about 45 minutes <or 2 hours if you have to run everything thru your translation program>) – 1,100 census workers will be visiting houses in Azuay from 6-22:00 starting today and ending el 18/12. <It´ll be my bad luck that the census worker will come in the middle of the night at 6, and your bad luck that she arrives at 22 after you’ve been in bed 2 hours.> The 70 questions are about your geographical location, home address, housing, household and population. Interviewers will have a yellow cap, quality control inspectors a blue cap, and zone inspectors a red cap as well as vests and INEC ID with a Q code. You can call 1800 08 08 08 or review the census worker’s data at www.ecuadorencifras.gob.ec. INEC is planning on setting up a link on their website which you can consult on the same day as your census visit. You can also download a copy of the questions that will be asked.

Distribuidor del tráfico tiene un avance del 79% (Traffic interchange is 79% complete) – Delivery of the interchange on av. De Las Américas at the Sindicato de Choferes gas station will be delayed from the end of noviembre to the first 15 days of diciembre. The project was slowed by weather delays, especially in octubre, and the strike in junio which caused a lack of concrete and steel.

The Isauro Rodríguez bridge project on av. Primero de Mayo was also delayed for the same reasons. It was supposed to be finished el 8/9, and the new completion date is 15/11.

Empresarial –

Bienes que no pagan impuestos (Non-taxable goods) – Air travelers entering Ecuador can bring in clothes, games, jewelery, books, video games, cellphones, cameras and more without paying foreign trade taxes and tariff surcharges if they accompany the traveler and the quantity and values are not considered commercial. Three liters of alcoholic beverages are also allowed. The Servicio Nacional de Aduana del Ecuador (SENAE – Customs) has a list of articles for personal use on its website and on the App Senae Móvil. Electronics under the category of personal effects are one new and one used item including cell phones, camera, video recorder, portable image/video or audio player. There are other items as well. <You should go to the website or app if you’re interested.>

If you’re coming in by land, you can’t bring in TVs or printers. You can bring in up to 3 liters of alcohol by paying the respective taxes and 3 packs of cigarettes, tools and equipment for professional use and for use in your job, and various electronics.

And that’s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne