Floods destroy homes, livestock and water systems; Covid infections drop; Crash kills 9, injures 27 in Cañar; Museums struggle to stay open, some close

Martes, 18/5/2021

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

De la pagina cultural –

Museos con varios problemas (Museums with various problems) – The pandemic has left some museums in Cuenca in a difficult situation, trying to operate without funds and specialized personnel. The Museo Pumapunga, Museo de las Conceptas and the Museo Agustín Landívar are among the institutions having trouble reaching their objectives for functioning adequately in the past few months. Challenges include problems with infrastructure, resources to contract with and pay staff, and money to create projects. The Museos de las Conceptas and Agustín Landívar have had to close their doors. Others such as MMAM and the Museo Remigio Crespo Toral have reimagined themselves to attract an audience that include children and youth. Two other museums have opened to offer something distinctive to the public. The Museo de Juguetes (Mariscal Lamar 21-45) shows traditional toys and antiquities. The owner wants visitors to remember their childhoods through the objects he has collected over 15 years. The Museo del Cacao (Juan Jaramillo y Hermano Miguel) teaches the public about the history of chocolate from the cacao boom to now.

Otras cosas –

Rescue workers check submerged cars and a bus on a road near the Rio Cuenca in Descanso. (El Mercurio)

Titular – Familias afectadas esperan por ayuda (Affected families wait for help) – 4 families from Carmen del Guzho and Calera Baja whose houses were flooded are in a 41 bed shelter set up by the City of Cuenca in the Casa del Adulto Mayor. The casa is currently housing 22 people and 2 pets and is providing housing, 3 meals and snacks. Personnel from the municipal hospital, Niño y la Mujer, are staffing the Casa de Adulto Mayor to help the displaced families. At that location <It’s not clear if the location is the hospital or the Casa de Adulto Mayor> personnel are also receiving donations and preparing food to deliver to others who are affected. There is a protocol to prevent spread of the Covid-19, and those who test positive are taken to another shelter near the Circo Social. The city has opened 2 locations to accept donations – at San Roque and the parque De La Libertad. The Prefectura de Azuay is also taking donations at its warehouses on av. Max Uhle. <Our neighborhood WhatsAppgroup forwarded a flyer from the city asking for clothing, nonperishable food, and personal hygiene items. It also gave a phone number – 099 621 7102.> EMOV agents are helping to pick up donations from your house.

One family had to leave their house and carpentry business in Calera Baja with only enough time to bring a few belongings, some too, and their dog. Everything else was destroyed. In Tarqui Parish, the river is still over its banks, and 8 bridges in Zhucay, Tutupali Chico, and Tutupali Grande have been destroyed. Many families were evacuated, but lost their animals which were their means of sustenance. The río Tarqui also damaged infrastructure and pipes feeding 2 reserve tanks at El Calvario, and destroyed water system catchments in Tarqui-Victoria del Portete which serves some 2,000 families. Anchors for water mains were also destroyed by the río Tarqui and affected zones such as Carmen de Guzho. Firefighters are using tankers to distribute water to homes and to the prison in Turi.

Medidas surten efecto, pero aún hay riesgo, vacunación continúa (Measures take effect, but there is still risk, vaccination continues) – For ECU-911, the measures adopted by the national COE (Comité de Operaciones de Emergencia) are positive. Their statistics show a reduction in the number of calls for complications in patients with Covid; and there are fewer crowds, clandestine parties and disrespect for the restrictions. In spite of this, the ICU beds in public hospitals in Cuenca remain full and Julio Molina, the Coordinación Zonal 6 de Salud (Zone 6 Health Coordination) is asking citizens to keep up with preventive measures. Molina also explained that 80% of the public hospital ICU beds were occupied before the confinement, so we will still have to wait at least 15 days to see the real effect of the lockdown. A MSP (Ministerio de Salud Público) spokesman reported that in Azuay, the basic reproduction number, which indicates how many people are infected by each positive case of Covid, fell from 1.24 to .86 in the last 4 weeks. This shows that the speed of contagions is slowing.

Segundas dosis (Second doses) – Administering 2nd doses to seniors and first line workers is continuing at the Poliforo de la Universidad Católica de Cuenca and the Bicentenario campus of the U. del Azuay (behind the colegio Borja). The Health Coordination specified that whoever received their first dose at the coliseo at the colegio Manuela Garaicoa will get the 2nd shot starting this jueves according to the schedule set up by the CNT.

Choque frontal deja 9 muertos y 27 heridos (Frontal collision leaves 9 dead and 27 injured) – A serious accident involving a San Luis cooperative bus and a trailer Monday morning in the Cochancay sector of la Troncal canton in Cañar left 9 dead and 27 injured. Investigators are determining the cause of the accident with a hypothesis that the tractor/trailer crossed into the incoming lane. Rescue and first responders made recommendations for driving in rain including turning on headlights, leaving more distance between vehicles, slowing down, and braking gradually.

Más nombres para el gabinete de G. Lasso (More names for G. Lasso’s cabinet) – With 7 days left, president-elect Guillermo Lasso mete el pie en el acelerador (put his foot on the gas – your phrase for the day) and named ministers of Tourism, Telecommunications, and the Environment. He still needs to name at least 7 ministers and 5 secretaries including some of the most relevant including the Ministerios de Gobierno (Secretary of the Interior), Chancellery (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Secretary of State), and Trabajo (Labor Secretary).

Niels Olsen Peet was named Minister of Tourism. The Guayaquileño heads an agro-tourism business in Guayas and received a Masters in Sustainable Tourism from the University of Monash in Australia. Vianna Maino will be Minister of Telecommunications and is a legal advice specialist in public-private partnerships. She graduated as a lawyer from the U. Católica de Guayaquil, has a Masters in International Business and a Doctorate in Jurisprudence. Gustavo Manrique will be the Minister of the Environment and is an agricultural engineer, and graduated from the universidad Earth in Costa Rica with diplomas from the Instituto Centroamericano de Administración de Empresas.

And that’s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne