Swindlers’ list; Someone’s making a killing on body bags; Cañar Covid cases; $3 billion budget shortfall; Southern Cross astronomy

Jueves, 7/5/2020

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

De la pagina cultural –

“Harry Potter en casa” – Harry Potter fans can learn more about his magical world at the web page wizardingworld.com where there are resources and activities for all ages. There are podcasts and videos where the actors read chapters, and you can read with other people around the world. The first chapter was read by Daniel Radcliffe. In order to access all the content, you have to register with the Wizarding World platform.

Agujeros negros – The “Cruz del Sur” astronomy club will present a virtual conference, “Horizontes de la observación de Agujeros Negros” (Observation horizons of Black Holes), which will talk about the first foto of a black hole. It will be el viernes a las 19:00. To attend go to the Discord platform.

Otras cosas –

Titular – Se reabre la constucción (Construction reopened) – Through a pilot plan for the new phase of the Praderas de Bemani housing development, the construction sector restarted activities while applying bio-security measures. RHR is one of 30 construction companies nationally, but the only one in Cuenca to restart work. If it is successful from a health and technical viewpoint, it will provide a template for other companies in the province to start working. The workers start their day by getting their temperatures taken and vehicles disinfected before they can enter the job site. They are issued a hardhat and vest which are disinfected daily and sprayed with alcohol. No smoking is allowed. <No one wants to see a pipefitter flambé or carpenters jubilee.> They work from 7-15:30 in 3 shifts with 22 people to maintain distancing. RHR hopes to finish the 104 apartments by enero, 2021.

A construction worker gets hosed. (El Mercurio)

One problem RHR is facing is that the Registraduría de la Propiedad (Property Registrar) is closed so the firm can’t get the work certified, and without those certifications, the banks won’t make progress payments.

Swindling migrants’ families – A new way of robbing people has appeared in Cuenca along with the coronavirus. Families of migrants are receiving messages via WhatsApp from people posing as immigrants, and asking family members to deposit money so that they can return to Ecuador on humanitarian flights. It is thought los delincuentes (the criminals – your word for the day – an easy one) are getting personal information from social networking sites. <How long before your families in the US start getting messages from “you” saying you need $1200 to get on a humanitarian flight back to the US? So don’t go putting your whole life onto the internet. If you wouldn’t give that information to some slimeball you met in a bar, don’t put it on the internet either.>

Budgets for public entities – Pres. Moreno has instructed public institutions to reduce their budgets 15% during (or starting in) mayo. This percentage will be added to the 8% reduction which started at the beginning of the pandemic. Due to the pandemic, almost $3 billion in income has not come into the Gobierno. With this new provision, the budget will be reduced by $5 billion. Analysts point out that this will be achieved through wages, renegotiating external debt, and elimination of subsidies.

La Troncal – La Troncal is the center of infections in Cañar Province with 178 confirmed cases. The mayor estimated that the actual number of cases is more than are registered with the MSP. He thought it would be closer to 600 considering that patients have contact with at least 3 family members. <The accompanying photo shows a ready-mix concrete truck driving down the street with foam pouring out of the chute and workers spreading the foam on the street with brooms. I guess that agitation of the mixer is good for making soapsuds as well as keeping concrete from setting up.>

Phone consultations for COVID – The Municipality has set up a land line for citizens to get a personal assessment about their risk of having COVID. You can call 408 1010 and then answer a survey which will measure the likelihood of your having contracted the virus. If it’s medium or high, a doctor from the Mujer y el Niño hospital or a Medisol health center will contact you to help you and your family. Someone with a high probability of having COVID will activate triage protocols specialized in respiratory illnesses. The cost of that service is $7 and if the patient tests positive with a PCR test, the Ministerio de Salud Pública (MSP) is notified for medical attention and isolation.

Prison-made masks – Inmates who are part of a textiles group, have made and donated 200 masks to merchants at the mercados 3 de Noviembre y 27 de Febrero. The group can made 200 masks a day, and will be distributing them first within the prison to inmates and security personnel, and then to the general population. <There are little notes on the masks – bake me a cake with a file in it for cell number xxxx.>

More hospital corruption – <It feels like some of you really like these corruption stories.> After authorities were alerted to the overpricing of body bags bought for Los Ceibos IESS hospital in Guayaquil, a similar case was found in the Hospital Docente de la Policía Nacional. 400 body bags were purchased for $130 each when the market price is $12 and 5,000 N95 masks were bought for $10 each ($3 market price). The hospital overpaid at least $83,000. Authorities raided the hospital storage rooms and arrested several who were involved.

And that´s all for today so hasta la semana próxima? –

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.