PM: Peru has conducted about 3 million COVID-19 tests

Peruvian Prime Minister Walter Martos reported that nearly three million COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Peru. Photo: ANDINA/Presidency of the Republic.

01:14 | Lima, Aug. 17.

Peruvian Prime Minister Walter Martos reported that nearly three million tests have been conducted in Peru to detect COVID-19 cases.

"We are one of the countries that is carrying out the most tests in the Americas, we are reaching nearly three million people who have been tested," he said in remarks to Canal N on Sunday night.

The Cabinet chief noted that there were over 5,000 positive cases in recent hours due to the fact that more than 35,000 tests have been conducted in one day, including rapid and molecular ones.

Likewise, the high-ranking official affirmed that —before August 31— the financial commitment for the purchase of vaccines must be made official —a matter that is being arranged with the Ministry of Economy and which will become a reality.

Curfew

Asked about the nationwide mandatory social immobilization, which governs on Sundays, Prime Minister Martos said that it is a measure to lower the amount of COVID-19 contagion cases.

"Any immobilization day will serve to avoid the number of contacted people, whether at shopping malls, markets or visiting their relatives, and the number of infected people will decrease (...). The less the virus is transported, the less contagion there will be," he expressed.

Martos recalled that there was a first wave of infections during the quarantine. He added that —following the initial lifting of nationwide restrictions on June 30— many

people started to visit relatives and took off their face masks without knowing that they were asymptomatic, thus increasing the amount of COVID-19 cases.

Therefore, the Government decided to return to compulsory social immobilization (curfew) on Sundays, said the head of the Ministerial Cabinet, who specified that —at this point— it is not possible to implement the epidemiological fence strategy.

He also mentioned that it is necessary to abide by the biosafety protocols in order to have an adequate economic reactivation.

Measures

As is known, the Peruvian Government has approved Supreme Decree N°139-2020-PCM, which declares quarantine entirely focused on 6 regions of the country: Arequipa, Ica, Huanuco, Junin, Madre de Dios and San Martin, as well as on 36 provinces due to an increase in the level of COVID-19 contagion.

Curfew

During the national state of emergency, mandatory social immobilization (curfew) is provided from 10:00 p.m. to 04:00 a.m. the next day, Mondays thru Saturdays.

However, in the regions of Arequipa, Ica, Junin, Huanuco, San Martin and Madre de Dios curfew is in force from 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. the next day.

Also, on Sundays, nationwide compulsory social immobilization is in force all day long until 4:00 a.m. on Monday.

It must be noted that —during the mandatory social immobilization— strictly necessary personnel, who participate in the provision of food supply, health, financial and restaurant services for home delivery, will be exempted from the measure.

(END) VVS/MVB

Published: 8/17/2020

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PM: Peru has conducted about 3 million COVID-19 tests

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