Andina

Deputy Min: COVID-19 indicators are going down in Peru, but pandemic has not gone away

Photo: EFE

Photo: EFE

11:08 | Lima, Dec. 12.

All indicators of the coronavirus pandemic are on the decline in Peru, despite upward or downward fluctuations, Deputy Public Health Minister Luis Suarez has affirmed.

In a weekly press conference, the epidemiologist said that Peru and its southern hemisphere neighbors —such as Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, and Chile— are entering a phase of low incidence of COVID-19 cases.

The government official explained that this downward trend is observed not only in coronavirus cases, but in the all-cause mortality rate.

"Before the pandemic (began in March), some 2,000 people used to die weekly in the country for different reasons. This index reached 6,000, and we see that it dropped to 2,600 in recent weeks; Peru is still above the usual, but it (the index) is going down," he expressed.

However, Suarez affirmed that "the pandemic has not gone away," adding that there could be an increase in cases in some regions at any moment —as has happened in Piura.

"The general trend of every indicator in the country suggests that the pandemic is going down; we are entering a phase of low incidence. There could be increases; there could be downward and upwards fluctuations, but any increase that we observe will be investigated quickly to take the necessary corrective measures," he said.

Act responsibly

Given the proximity of Christmas and New Year holidays, Suarez called for citizens to act responsibly. For instance, families must avoid social gatherings that imply any risk of coronavirus contagion.

The official noted that if the population fails to comply with sanitary measures, more restrictive measures will have to be taken.


"In Europe they had to return to restrictive measures just because people did not comply with the rules. A market, a house, a place does not infect by itself, people do that by acting irresponsibly," he noted.

Dr. Suarez affirmed that the Ministry of Health is on alert and that a plan for a possible second wave is being implemented. Yet, he said, it cannot be assured when it could occur.

(END) RRC/MVB

Published: 12/12/2020