Andina

Peru: Health Minister requests citizens to "flee" from crowds to avoid COVID-19

Photo: ANDINA/Carla Patiño

Photo: ANDINA/Carla Patiño

15:15 | Lima, Dec. 7.

We all want a speedy economic reactivation in the country, but this must occur ensuring safety and self-care and —among the most important measures to achieve it— is that of escaping or "fleeing" from crowds, always and everywhere, Health Minister Pilar Mazzetti affirmed on Monday.

During her presentation before Congress' Special COVID-19 Commission, the government official stressed that crowds are permanently reported around diverse shopping centers and fairs, especially now that the year-end holidays are approaching.

"They (crowds) constitute a danger that we all must avoid," Dr. Mazzetti underlined.

"We all want an economic reactivation, but a healthy one. Every citizen, who wants to go back to work or travel, must do so wearing a face mask. He/she must be aware and flee from crowds, the exact term is to flee, which means to run away from crowds," she said.

The Minsa head indicated that —in order to face a possible second wave of the new coronavirus— an important working group has been formed. It will help design the economic reactivation and the new coexistence, establishing strategies and coordinating actions that allow a progressive economic resumption, but above all a safe one.

"We all need the economy to reactivate, so that those working groups, which have been suffering at recent times, can go back to work and for people to have an income again. However, none of us want an economic reactivation that means health risk. We are monitoring what is happening, but it is impossible to monitor each person," she expressed.

In this sense, Dr. Mazzetti said that if a person sees a densely populated area, he/she should leave and —instead— look for open spaces.

"It is impossible to control an agglomeration of people. If each one of us does not exercise self-control, each one of us will be at risk. It is very difficult for large commercial establishments to oversee the capacity, tremendously difficult. Therefore, each one of us must avoid crowds; that depends on each one of us. There is no standard in the world that can contain this type of behavior. It just depends on us," she concluded.

(END) KGR/RRC/MVB

Published: 12/7/2020