The Ministry of Health (Minsa) reported This Tuesday, the death toll from coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country rose to 41,354. There are 173 new deaths compared to the 41,181 registered since the beginning of the pandemic until Monday, after the arrival of the second wave of the disease was announced. In addition, the entity specified that the number of infections rose to 1’149,764.
As recalled, the first death from coronavirus in the country was reported on Thursday, March 19, 2020. It was a 78-year-old man who suffered from high blood pressure and had been admitted to the Air Force Hospital with severe respiratory failure.
President Francisco Sagasti announced that the “purchase of the first batch” of one million doses of coronavirus vaccines developed by Sinopharm was completed, within the framework of an agreement to acquire a total of 38 million doses from the Chinese laboratory.
UPDATE | This is the situation of #COVID19 in Peru until 10:00 p.m. on February 1. #PeruIsInOurHands.
More information: https://t.co/DNF97rnXRy pic.twitter.com/WdyVxZUs9O
– Ministry of Health (@Minsa_Peru) February 3, 2021
However, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elizabeth Astete, clarified that the arrival of the first million is expected in January, but that the purchase of 37 million of these doses has yet to be finalized.
Likewise, the Executive reported that an agreement was also reached with Oxford-AstraZeneca to access 14 million vaccines since September 2021. Regarding the vaccines obtained through the Covax Facility mechanism, an agreement was signed by the previous Government, with which there would be more than 13 million doses.
The state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be in force until February 28, 2021, in order to contain the advance of infections throughout the country.
Targeted measures
President Francisco Sagasti reported on Tuesday, January 26, that in the departments of Áncash, Pasco, Huánuco, Junín, Huancavelica, Ica, Apurímac and Lima (provinces, Metropolitan Lima and Callao), mandatory social immobilization will govern, with the possibility of supplying of food and other basic necessities through free pedestrian traffic during the day. You can also access the delivery service, but there will be no face-to-face service in restaurants.
In addition, he pointed out that only one person can go out to make purchases. He also explained that there will be no interprovincial transport by land or air in the regions of extreme health level.
Meanwhile, the regions of Tumbes, Amazonas, Cajamarca, Ayacucho, Cusco, Puno, Arequipa, Moquegua and Tacna are at very high risk, so the casinos, slot machines, gyms, cinemas and performing arts (in spaces open or closed).
The same restriction applies to restaurants in internal areas, churches or centers of worship, libraries, museums, archaeological centers and cultural centers, as well as the activities of sports clubs and associations.
Finally, the regions of Piura, Loreto, Lambayeque, La Libertad, San Martín, Ucayali and Madre de Dios are on “high” alert. Thus, in these regions, the maximum capacity allowed for casinos, slot machines, gyms, cinemas and performing arts (in closed spaces) will be 30%.