People over 50 years of age and with five months of last booster dose can now receive a fourth vaccine against COVID-19 in Ecuador | Community | Guayaquil

Ecuador began applying the fourth booster dose against COVID-19. The announcement was made in Samborondón this Friday morning by the Minister of Health, Ximena Garzón.

The official indicated that people over 50 years of age who have received the third booster dose and are five months old will be able to go to the vaccination points and access the fourth vaccine.

Private campuses will be able to start classes on the Coast on April 22; prosecutors, from May 6

Health centers nationwide are enabled to apply this new booster dose.

Garzón said that the positivity of COVID-19 cases in Ecuador is at 5% and soon there could be talk of a control of the pandemic.

This morning, together with the president of the COE, Juan Zapata, and the Minister of Education, María Brown, a balance of the epidemiological situation was made.

The Minister of Health asserted that there is a downward trend in COVID-19 cases in the country and confirmed that the delta variant has no longer been registered in Ecuador in recent weeks. What dominates now is the omicron.

Although the BA.2 sublineage has been detected in the country, Garzón maintained that they have not registered a drastic change in the epidemiological behavior. “Despite the fact that it is more contagious, as in other countries, there are no changes in the trend,” he said.

Hospitals decongest

The official said that hospitalizations in the network of the Ministry of Public Health are down. Until this Friday, of the 627 beds, 5% were occupied by patients with coronavirus.

10% were employed in intermediate care and 9% in intensive care. This, according to the minister, will allow beds to be referred to attend to other pathologies.

In the IESS, ISFFA and other hospital systems, where there are 621 beds for COVID-19 cases, hospitalization occupancy is around 20%. In intensive care, 42% are occupied.

“The hospital system is decongesting, in a new phase of converting beds to treat other pathologies,” said Garzón, who considered that COVID-19 may soon be endemic.

According to the Ministry of Health, there is a decrease in the number of deaths from COVID-19. In week 12 there were two daily deaths.

The minister indicated that vaccination is having an effect and that people over 50 years of age with aggravating diseases are the ones who are dying.

Excess mortality is at 10.2 and it is reaching pre-pandemic levels, according to Garzón.

For his part, Juan Zapata reiterated that the use of the mask is mandatory and that the measures to enter the country are maintained. According to him, Ecuador has the “best health indicators in the region.”

He said that they will evaluate the measures fifteen days after the Easter holiday. (I)

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