Ecuador loses money at current oil prices, What about the homeless? Enforcement of stay-at-home order; Warning of ‘information overload’

Jueves, 19/3/2020

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –
De la pagina cultural –

Documentaries – Encuentros del Otro Cine (EDOC) has released 18 documentaries to help you weather your Quedate En Casa (stay at home). The films include Siguiente round, El secreto de la luz, Ovoo, Rosita, Sombras envolventes, Estación polar, La muerte de Jaime Roldos, La Rompecuellos, Estación Floresta, Santa Elena en bus, and a package of 4 films in Documentales de otros festivales. Go to their website, and next to the description of each film is a link to download it.

Revista – The march issue of the children’s magazine “Chispiola” is available digitally. This issues focuses on the importance of maíz in the culture. To download it, go to their Facebook page and click on “El maíz: trdición, identidad y cultura.”

Police ask motorists to justify their trips on Cuenca streets. (El Tiempo)

Concierto – Fito Páez will perform a concert from his home, Friday, el 20/3 a las 21:30 (Argentine time <is that like Cuenca time? An hour an half after the announced time?>) He will premier material from his new CD, “La Conquista del Espacio,” and it will be available on all digital platforms. <I hope you can figure out what the heck that means.>

Otras cosas –

Titular – Extreman los controles; petróleo baja a USD 15 (Extreme controls; oil falls to $15) – <At that price, too bad it’s not potable. It’s cheaper than the homemade aguardiente.> Exporting oil now is losing the country more than $3 million per day. For every barrel produced, Petroamazonas lost at least $3 which adds up to $1 million per day. The greater loss comes from contracts with petroleum companies to provide services which cost an average of $33.50 per barrel. This results in a $18.50 loss to the country which adds up to another $2 million per day.

Psychologists are recommending that you prepare activities to make the “encierro” (confinement – your word for the day, and maybe the next few months.) more tolerable. One of the first recommencations from psychologists is to accept the situation. Second, avoid “over-information.” Too much information can generate anxiety <and make you crazy.>. Take the cellphones away from the kids – do stuff instead. Put the kids on a schedule to keep them on their usual routines, only inside the house. Don’t spend the day in your pajamas – get dressed. Seniors should interact with the rest of the family. If they are not living in the same house, stay in contact digitally.

Canasta popular – The demand for these agro-ecological products has jumped from 300 to 3,000 per day. <Nothing against pizza, but after a week of pizza, getting fresh fruits and vegetables delivered to your door sounds really good.> With the increase in demand, more growers will be added. Currently 365 have been certified with more calling to offer their products. There are 200 products you can choose from with enough on hand to cover the demand for this and the next week. The Prefectura has a new product called the “Canasta Solidaria” for households without food. They will be distributed to families who can’t pay. The canasta popular costs $15.00 with an additional $1.50 or $2.00 delivery charge. Call 099 577 1352, 099 702 0219, 096 914 8298, or 099 096 9874 to order a basket.

Currently 65 people work 6-20:00 and with the increased demand, the possibility of adding employees and delivery days is being analyzed. Deliveries are being made on miércoles, viernes, y sábado. The products are locally produced, and clean. Imports such as apples and grapes are not offered. <Eating like this would make you a locavore?>

COVID-19 numbers – <This would be as of when El Mercurio went to print yesterday.> 17 patients in quarantine in Azuay are waiting for test result and 56 people in their circle are part of the epidemiological containment. Cañar has 7 suspected cases also waiting for test results. So far, all the cases have been imported or people who had contact with travelers from other countries with no community contagion as is the case in Guayaquil. The time to receive test results has been cut from 48 to 6 hours. A new lab was opened in Cuenca so that samples no longer have to be sent to Guayaquil. In the next few days, another testing lab will be authorized at the Vicente Corral Moscoso hospital.
If you feel flu symptoms, call 171 for a medical brigade to be sent to your house, thereby reducing the risk of contagion at hospitals and health centers. <How about that? Doctors making housecalls again.>

Homeless – MIES provided temporary housing for 12 homeless people when the curfew started on la noche del martes. Also migrants and migrant families reduced to begging are being housed this week. The zone coordinator for the Ministerio de Inclusión Económica y Social (MIES) said that they hope to ready temporary housing for the homeless population this week. They are also arranging food kits to avoid concentrations of people. The posada San Franciso closed its dining room and budget restaurants aren’t open.

Blood donations – The Red Cross blood bank is low, mostly because donors can’t get to the Red Cross. They are making their ambulances available for home pick up of blood. Donors can call 099 623 5093 or (07) 410 2274. Blood is still needed for patients suffering complications of coronavirus, patients with chronic health conditions, and victims of accidents or violence. <Maybe fewer accidents with almost no one out on the streets?>

Mobility controls – The Policía Nacional, EMOV, and Armed Forces intensified controls yesterday to keep people off the streets. A check point was located at Gil Ramírez Dávalos near av. España. An EMOV agent reminded people that license card with license plates ending in a numero par (even number – your first bonus word for the day) or 0 can circulate on Tu, Th & Sat. Plates ending with a numero impar (odd number – bonus word number 2) can circulate on M,W,F, y Sun. Taxis can circulate every day as well as drivers who have a salvoconducto (safe passage – I know there’s another English term for that, but I sure can’t remember it.). Salvoconductos are issued to people who work in strategic sectors such as food, health, basic services, finance, the press, and exports. They will be issued to mixtos and light cargo vehicles in rural sectors who can also use the salvo conducto to transport necessities, medicines, and people who work in strategic sectors.
Street sweeping will be suspended, but garbage collection will continue on its normal schedule. About 250 Guardia Ciudadana officers will be in various public spaces to deter crowds.

Controls in the cantons – There are 8 police check points set up at entrances to Azogues, Biblián y Déleg. The controls will run 24 hours a day during the emergency and be looking for drivers with no reason to be on the road, driving on the wrong day, or without a salvoconducto.

Gas – Gas tanks suppliers are filling more tanks. Austrogás increased from 8.000 tanks a day to 10,700. Bottlers are telling people not to turn in half used tanks for full tanks since that can contribute to scarcity. If you buy from an authorized vendor at their location, a tank costs $1.60 (?). Home delivery costs $3.00.

Spanish flight blocked – A plane from Spain was blocked from landing in Guayaquil by pick up trucks parked on the runway. Rumors that the plane was carrying passengers had circulated that morning. Three Iberia Airlines planes arrived in Ecuador – two in Quito, without passengers to evacuate foreigners from Ecuador. The Ministerio de Transporte y Obras Públicas blamed the Municipio de Guayaquil for blocking the emergency flight.

Liquor industry shuts its doors – The 9 businesses in the Asociación de Industrias Licoreras will stop production, distribution and sales temporarily even though they are considered alimentos (foods). <What? Not enough hard drinking gringos to keep this industry afloat?>

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. The text between the carrots, or guillemets (< … >), is Jeanne’s personal opinion and not part of the news translation.