Health Ministry believes 92% have Covid immunity; Cuenca is ready to party; Minnie Mouse, Chola Cuencana jab the kids; Mayor inaugurates new park

Martes, 22/2/2022

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

Titular –

Presencialidad obligada desde el 14 de marzo (Attendance required after March 14) – Ayer, the Government announced that mandatory in person classes will resume el 14/3. The decision was made since health authorities announced a reduction in Covid cases and the high levels of vaccination in the country; and also because the COE decided to eliminate the stoplight system which established different levels of restrictions in different jurisdictions in the country.

Cuenca –

Ambiente festivo en vacunación (Festive atmosphere in vaccination) – The atmosphere el lunes in the coliseo at the Universidad Politécnica Salesiana (UPS) was more like a children’s party than a vaccination center. Nurses and doctors were dressed in costumes to vaccinate children from 3 up to 5 years old. One doctor changed her white jacket for a tutu and pink wings. A nurse was dressed as Minnie Mouse, and a “Chola Cuencana” gave one little patient a chocolate after her shot. <Did your dentist give you lollipops after dental treatments? Kind of ironic, or insuring you’d be back with another cavity to fill?>

Health workers in costume were jabbing kids Tuesday at the Universidad Politécnica Salesiana in Cuenca.

The coliseum was decorated with balloons, butterflies and other arrangements. Several parents were still more worried about the shots than the children, shutting their eyes when their babies received the jabs. The location is also where adults and seniors can get their boosters. One man said the scene was a complete surprise to him, and although the arrangements weren’t made with adults in mind, they made him feel special and almost took him back in time. <Can’t say Ecuadorians don’t know how to party. Even vaccinations are a good reason to have one.>

Inauguran parque en Las Orquídeas (Park inaugurated in Las Orquídeas) – Mayor Palacios cut the ribbon at the opening of a new $1,700,000 park in the Las Orquídeas and Parque Nuestra Casa sector in Hermano Miguel parish. He highlighted other work in the parish including street paving. <When are the elections? Soon?>

El Carnaval regresa a Cuenca (Carnival returns to Cuenca) – As in the old days, carnaval will return to being celebrated in the streets, mercados and plazas. The Jueves de Compadres and Comadres will return el 24/2, stating at 18:00 in the plaza de San Francisco with entertainment including AUD, who is one of the compadres for 2022 along with athlete Elizabeth Bravo. On el 25/2, there will be a tour of the mercados which have reactivated the gastronomy and sales of carnaval foods. After this there will be concert in the plaza del Otorongo with Sonora Dinamita, Los del Río, and Margarita Luque. The big activities will be el sábado, 26/2 with “Carnaval de los Cuatro Ríos,” a comparsas parade planned by the city, the Amistad Club and the Unión de Periodistas del Azuay. There is an open call for participants and so far 40 entries have signed up. The Mayor expects $8-10 million to be spent in the city and so far, some hotels are 100% reserved. You can see the agenda on the Facebook page of the Dirección de Cultura.

Region –

Acciones legales a quienes impidan obras en el km 49 (Legal actions against those who impede construction works at km 49) – Yesterday MTOP announced that whoever interferes with the stabilization of km. 49 on the vía Cuenca-Molleturo-El Empalme will face legal action. It also asked for the presence of law enforcement to guarantee the work. This was in response to a conflict el viernes, 18/2 when a sector of the populace of Molleturo retained machinery belonging to the contractor, Sudamericana Integral de Construcciones. The president of the parish junta, Carlos Morales, justified taking the grader and platform <Would that qualify as a highjacking?> saying the populace is tired of the lies. Molleturans have been asking for a meeting with MTOP Minister Cabrera since last august with no response.

The Government is planning to close that stretch of road el miércoles, 2/3 for 40 days. The alternative route for people living in the area is the vía Miguir-Río Blanco-Cochalpamba-Yumate which is getting maintenance work with support of another sector of the population. Morales criticized that work saying that improvements to that road are in <for?> the interests of the Río Blanco mining project.

Azuay plantea nulidad a acuerdo con Guayas (Azuay raises invalidity to the agreement with Guayas) – The Comisión Territorial de Límites del Azuay presented an action of inconstitutionality in Quito seeking to nullify the 3/3/2015 border agreement between Guayas and Azuay. The agreement marked the limits in 608 km. located in the Molleturo parish in the canton of Cuenca. <Does Azuay want to give it to Guayas, since the Molleturans are such a fractious ungovernable lot?> The action was based on 3 irregularities in the agreement.

En Girón colapsa puente de 40 años (40 year old bridge collapses in Girón) – The bridge on calle Arturo Sández collapsed last Sun. night due to a strong current in the El Chorro river. It started showing cracks 4 months ago and was closed to vehicular traffic. The 40 m long bridge was one of 4 that connect Girón with its northern barrios. The collapse affected one house whose owners were evacuated.

Nacional –

¿92% inmune? (92% immune?) – Ecuador is starting research to determine if 92% of the population is immune to Covid given the high levels of vaccination and the numbers of registered cases. Health minister, Ximena Garzón, said that the presumption is the seroprevalence in the country is at 92% based on unofficial calculations, data based on old cases, vaccinations, and new cases of ómicron.

And that’s all for today so hasta el ?

Jeanne