Lhe city is divided between those who ask for more restrictive measures to control COVID-19 infections and those who request to extend curfew hours for economic reactivation.
The plea of the latter seems to have been heard, the Mayor of Cartagena in its last decree reduced the curfew hours, leaving it only from 12 am to 5:00 am, even if the occupation of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is by 90%.
If the Ministry of Health asked the municipalities with an ICU occupancy greater than 85% to submit proposals with restrictive measures and Cartagena made theirs more flexible, what other strategies does the District advance to reduce coronavirus infections?
“To control the COVID-19 figures, we intensify the implementation of epidemiological fences, through massive tests with house-to-house PCR tests and at strategic points, to detect and isolate positive cases, and in this way interrupt the chain of transmission. of the virus in a timely manner, ”the District responded.
That is why, according to epidemiological criteria, the Red Spot sector of Olaya Herrera, and the Boston, El Líbano, La Candelaria and La Esperanza neighborhoods were prioritized.
Another of the District’s measures is to continue with the application of vaccines in the more than 69 authorized positions. According to figures from the District Administrative Department of Health (Dadis), as of June 27, 384,493 vaccines have been applied, of which 242,724 correspond to first doses and 141,769 to second doses.
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“The University Hospital of Cartagena has 100% occupancy of ICU COVID-19, there is no timely and quality information from the rest of the city, what we play, these data must be published daily, lack of rigor, seriousness,” wrote on Twitter the President of the Table for Health in Cartagena, Rubén Sabogal, who criticized that the authorities give a general occupancy figure and do not specify the ICU COVID beds.
Until yesterday morning, there were 37 ICU beds available, only for other pathologies, and an occupancy of 90%. The average occupancy for June is 92%.
At the beginning and in the middle of the month, new beds were set up, first four and then nine, for a total of 13 that add up to 369 enabled ICU beds. Of those, as of Sunday, 138 are occupied by COVID patients, 26 suspects and 168 with other pathologies.
According to the District, the provision of new beds allows a reduction in the occupancy figures.
“In the midst of this crisis, Dadis works with the commitment to offer Cartagena residents the possibility of expanding hospital capacity, exclusively in intensive care units, as has been done in the last month,” said Johana Bueno, director of the authority. in health.
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“The measures adopted in Decree 0661 of June 25 were submitted to the Interior Ministry for consideration and were subsequently endorsed by this portfolio. With the team of epidemiologists from Dadis, we constantly review and analyze to determine the changes that can or cannot be made to the public order measures, prior approval of the national government, which is the one that finally endorses or denies ”, the District responded. When asked if the decree will be modified according to what has been said by Minsalud.
It was also mentioned that prior to the approval of the decree, there were meetings with restaurants, gastrobars, hotels and tourist promoters, among others, who committed to comply with biosafety regulations to mitigate contagions and the District permanently monitors these establishments. If they do not comply, they are sanctioned.
To verify compliance with the decree, the Ministry of the Interior, with the support of the Police, local mayors, Navy, Public Space and Dadis, carries out security caravans.
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