Truckers demand fuel price freeze; 87% of seniors are fully vaccinated; Ecuadorians are having too much fun; Prison security boosted; Biblían celebrates

Lunes, 26/7/2021

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

Del periodico de viernes, 23/7/2021 –

50 leyendas se traducen al inglés (50 legends translated into English) – A professor of Técnicas de la Traducción in Estudios Internacionales (Translation Techniques in International Studies) at the Universidad de Azuay <Now that’s what I should have been studying to improve these translations.> looked for Ecuadorian legends that had not been translated into English as a project for her students. After they had made the translations of 50 stories and some poetry, they hold a simple presentation at UDA whose publishing arm decided to publish the collection in a book titled, “A Piece of Culture, Translated Ecuadorian Traditional Legends.” The books are available in the library of UDA, and on line at https://n9.cl/mmoz9.

Titular –

The national COE warns that crowded events will lead to an increase in Covid infections. (El Mercurio)

Mercados vacíos en Cuenca (Empty markets in Cuenca) – In the 6 mercados and 7 itinerant platforms, there are 300 free and available spaces. The merchants are feeling the decrease in customers and the proliferation of informal sales. The Director de Mercados y Comercio Autónomo del Municipio de Cuenca (Markets and Autonomous Commerce of the Municipality of Cuenca), Cristian Patiño, said that the majority of merchants are vulnerable women over 40 who have decided to retire. The vacancies are mostly in the new markets – Tres de Noviembre y Doce de Abril as well as the Narancay platform where 50% of the spaces are vacant. The city has held promotional campaigns to increase sales with the message emphasizing that the mercados are save, orderly, capable of supplying the whole city, and complying with all biosecurity measures. Also there have not been massive or community spread of Covid in the markets. Rents at the markets start at $5 and go up to $30-40 in San Francisco Plaza which is the most expensive.

Cuenca –

Aglomeración aumenta un 18% los fines de semana (Agglomeration increases 18% on weekends) – After freeing the vaccine for all age groups, compliance with biosecurity measures has diminished. According to ECU-911 data, various incivilidades humanas (human incivilities – now there’s a concept to ponder on) have increased including aglomeraciones by 18%, clandestine parties by 28%, presence of drinkers by 6% and escándalos (which I’ve decided is disturbing the peace) by 4%. Also worrying is the growth in the number of people going to the beaches, up 84%.

Juan Zapata, general director of 911, held that these incivilities are directly related to the number of contagions, and insisted that the citizenry maintain health protocols. He said that the rapid, effective, and prioritized State of Emergency and restriction of mobility in El Oro has kept the Delta variant from explosive growth in other cities. Bernardo Vega, a research doctor on the faculty of medicine at the U. of Cuenca, is part of the Proyecto Internacional Ciudadano (ICP) COVID-19, said that vaccinations have generated a false sense of security; and that promoting turism and commerce imply greater mobility with people lowering their guard. He warned that graduations and confirmations in these months could be spreader events, especially if held inside in badly ventilated locations. He also referred to a study the ICP conducted to measure vaccine acceptance. It showed that when a vaccine is 95% effective, only 9% of the population will reject the vaccine, but if the vaccine is 90% effective, 30% will refuse it. 55% of the study participants had fear of the vaccines, based on myths very far from reality. 2 out of 10 believed that vaccines are not effective and are designed to damage the body.

According to MSP data, 87% of people over 65 have received both doses; 79% of citizens between 50 & 64 have received one dose; and 62% of people between 16 & 49 have received 1 dose. About 60% of Azuayans have received 1 dose. There are also certain groups reluctant to take the vaccine. The study showed that seniors had more interest in getting vaccinated as well as people who were better educated (university). Also, people who have had Covid expressed intentions of being vaccinated. <Sounds like if you’ve already been infected and lived through it, you don’t want to repeat the experience. Please learn from those voices of experience.>

Sucesos –

Refuerzan controles en la cárcel de Cuenca (Controls in the Cuenca prison reinforced) – After the incidents in the prisons in Guayaquil and Cotopaxi, controls in the Centro de Privación de Libertad (CPL – Center for Deprivation of Liberty) Azuay No. 1 inTuri have been reinforced. Police units have been strengthened by the presence of military personnel who will patrol around the outside of the prison. There will also be controls to access the prison (1st filter) to prevent the entrance of arms, municions or explosives.

La Policía del circuito San Joaquín intensifica controles (The San Joaquín circuit Police intensify controls) – Over the weekend, the Policía Nacional intensified their preventive controls at strategic points such as outside Cooperativas and commercial locaitons. Police said these operations are permanent in San Joaquín Parish as well as along the vía Barabón-Soldados. The are conducted at various times of the day and night and in different locaitons according to georeferencing of crimes.

Region –

Biblián festeja 77 años de independencia (Biblián celebrates 77 years of independence) – Authorities in Biblían released their agenda for the 77th anniversary of its political emancipation as a canton. There will be a mass of thanks el sábado a las 19:00 in the Iglesia Matriz and a Noche Biblianense a las 20:00. El domingo, there will be a civic and military ceremony to honor Biblián a las 11:00, followed by a Sesión Solemne in the Teatro Municipal. El jueves, 5/8 a las 10:00, in the Santuario de la Virgen del Rocio, there will be a commemoration of the declaration of the church as a patrimonial and cultural heritage. El domingo, 8/8 a las 7:00 there will be the IX Cicloruta de la Integración Provincial in the Parque Central “Velasco Ibarra.

Nacional –

Los transportistas pesados del paíz dan ultimátum al Gobierno (The country’s heavy transporters give the Government ultimatum) – The Federación de Transporte Pesado del Ecuador (Fenatrape) is threatening to abandon the bargaining table which was set up el 15/6 to find mechanisms of compensation or subsidies focused on the gradual increase in fuel prices. Until that point, Fenatrape wants the monthly increases suspended. Ecuador has received over $1,300 million, most of which has come from the pockets of the transportation sector which has not raised its prices on cargo or passengers.

Las Pymes, fundamentales para reactivación económica (SMEs, fundamental for economic reactivation) – Small and medium enterprises (Pymes) were the hardest hit sectors by the pandemic. However, in the last months, there were new business formations, especially in commerce, and also in the bread sector. Tatiana Mondoñedo, a representative of the Línea Maestro of the La Fabril company which contains more than 5,000 businesses, said that the pymes or family businesses are instrumental for productive and economic reactivation in the country and that they play a fundamental role in generating and protecting formal employment. In Ecuador, 99% of businesses are pymes and generate more than 22,000 jobs <Doesn’t it seem like there’s a zero or two missing?>. In the bread sector, data from the Gremio de Panificadores de Pichincha (Pichincha Bakers Guild) showed 25% of bakeries closed during the pandemic, but in the last few days, the SRI has registered 1,329 new bakeries. Mondoñedo said that 80% of Ecuadorians eat bread daily with a per capita consumption of 27 kilograms per year. This is lower than the WHO recommendation for 80 kilos per year. <At that rate I could double my weight each year. Nope – not going to eat half a pound a bread a day.>

And that’s all for today so hasta ? –

Jeanne