More than 15 % of Cuencanos are vaccinated as new phase begins; Lasso to undergo spinal surgery; Surge in passports; Ten houses threatened by landslides

Lunes, 14/6/2021

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –
Nada.

Otras cosas –

Titular – Carapaz logra otra hazaña al triunvar en Tour de Suiza (Carapaz achieves another feat with triumph in Tour de Suisse) – See today’s (lunes) CHL article for story.

El 15.15% de cuencanos se ha vacunado (15.15% of Cuencans vaccinated) – According to data from the Dirección Nacional de Estadística y Análysis de la Información, between 21/1 (the date Covid vaccinations started <scandolously with the ex-health minister’s family>) and 8/6/2021, in Zone 6, 156,453 people have received their first dose and 87,940 their 2nd. Of these, 44.05% have been men and 55.95% have been women. <Is that almost 12 point difference due to a higher rate of recklessness in men?> In Azuay, 112,712 have gotten their 1st dose and 16,065 their 2nd, corresponding to 18.77% of the population. In Cuenca, 76,858 have gotten their 1st doses, followed by Gualaceo with 10,808 and Paute with 5,205. The last census in 2010 counted 505,585 habitants in Cuenca.

As a new phase of Ecuador’s vaccination program begins, more than 15% of Cuenca residents have received at least a first dose.

Following the vaccination plan, people who were called to receive vaccines last weekend included those who could not be vaccinated between 7-11/6. They included medical students at the U. Católica de Cuenca and the U. of Cuenca and paramedic students at the Instituto American College who helped during the vaccination process. Also included were people over 65 and those between 50 & 64 with serious medical conditions or people over 50% disabled.

Phase 1, “Salvamos Vidas,” will end today. Phase 2, “Nos Cuidamos,” will start el miercoles 16/6 and run until 15/7 with vaccines going to those between 54 & 64 and citizens between 16 & 49 with serious conditions, over 50% disabled, chronic diseases, and people working in strategic sectors. This week (14-18/6), 1st doses will be given at the UPS, Unidad Educativa César Dávila, Unidad Educativa Herlinda Toral, Unidad Educativa Isabel Moscoso Dávila, Colegio Sudamericano (Ricaurte), Colegio María Auxiliadora (Salesianas), Colegio Manuel J. Calle, Unidad del Milenio Febres Cordero, UDA, U. de Cuenca, Colegio Benigno Malo, Unidad Educativa Sagrados Corazones, Unida Educativa Antonio Ávila, Escuela de Educación Básica Juan León Mera, Campus Bicentenario de la UDA.

Una capilla abandonada es refugio para consumidores (An abandoned chapel is a haven for users) – The area around an abandoned chapel in the Cooperativa Paraíso del Azuay in San Joaquín is filled with preservativos (condoms – your word for the day – you tell me if it’s a useful one.) <And don’t use it to ask for food that is processed without conservantes (perservatives in English) unless you want to give the clerk a funny gringo story to tell at dinner that evening.> Other trash includes liquor bottles and plastic waste. The building has not been visited by those in charge since 3/2019 due to the pandemic. Neighbors have asked the president of the parish GAD for better security.

Diez casas en riesgo en ciudadela Jaime Roldós (Ten houses at risk in the Jaime Roldós neighborhood) – A large scale landslide in the ciudadela Jaime Roldós has reactivated due to a geological fault which was aggravated by recent rains. The earth movement was detected 15 years ago and caused the collapse of 15 houses and demolition of another 10. Currently there are at least 10 houses at risk, especially in the Los Pinos barrio. The city did a study in 2016, and in junio, 2019, Mayor Palacios declared an emergency in the sector. This allowed the implementation of emergency projects including geological and geotechnical studies to determine what work would be needed to slow the slide. Embankments and terraced retaining walls were built and drains put in, but have been insufficient to stop the slide. Marco Apolo, a civil engineer, said that all that can be done is slow the speed of the earth movement but not stop it. What should be done is to prohibit new construction, relocate the inhabitants, and demolish the houses to reduce the weight. <Engineers know when they’re in a losing fight against Mother Nature.>

Girón recupera dos hectáreas de un humedal (Girón recovers two hectares of a wetland) – The San Martín lake in San Gerardo parish in Girón, has recuperated the first 2 hectars of its surface area. The lake practically disappeared a few years ago due to the encroachment of agricultural and grazing activities. In septiembre, 2020, the parish junta started a large project to restore about 28 hectars of wetland. The first phase cost about $85,000 to to remove mud, clean out invasive plants, and build a 35 m. long dam or dike. This was finished in febrero. The next phase will include more mud and invasive plant removal and reforestation.

Una cirugía lumbar toma tres horas (A lumbar surgery takes three hours) – Pres. Lasso will travel to the US el próximo domingo, 20/7 for a surgery of medium complexity which will allow him to walk without a cane. Jack Ordóñez, a orthopedic specialist in spinal surgery, said the surgery would drain and seal a cyst to allow the president to return to normal activities. He said that the surgery would allow a recuperation of 70-80%, but not 100%, and added that anyone promising a 100% recuperation would be wrong. The president will probably be hospitalized for 3-4 days and then go through 6 months of rehabilitation and physical therapy. He will probably be able to return to work after about 3 weeks. He is scheduled to return to Ecucador el 30/6.

En un 57% incrementó solicitud de pasaportes (57% increase in passport applications) – Between enero y diciembre de 2020, the Dirección National de Registro Civil issued 258,281 passports. And in 2021, up to 10/6, it issued 194,472. Fernando Alvear, the national director of the Registro Civil, predicted a 100% increase this year if the trend continues. He assumed a direct relationship with people interested in traveling to other countries to be vaccinated. This years’s budget to issue passports is close to $8 million. The Instituto Geográfico Militar (IGM) has the contract to produce passports as well as cédulas.

Descuentos y compras –

Automekano – Soueast Model DX3 from $18,990 – Av. España 10-35, 100 m. from the airport – WhatsApp 096 765 0100.

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.