Effects of December festivities will be known until January 18

The Ministry of Health plans to evaluate the effects of the Christmas, New Year and the final of the soccer tournament in two weeks.

Although the health emergency due to the pandemic caused by Covid-19 has continued since March 12, 2020, some citizens do not comply with biosecurity measures to avoid more infections.

The national Emergency Operations Committee (COE) plans until January 18 to review if there was a possible spike in infections. That will also depend on the analysis of the scheme of gradual and scheduled return to face-to-face classes.

The Minister of Health, Juan Carlos Zevallos, reiterated that the crowds have had an impact on the demand for hospitalization in the country, as well as the spaces in the intensive care units (ICU) of the capital are at their maximum.

Between December 27 and January 1, the percentage of filled spaces in the ICU, where very seriously ill patients are treated, remained between 64% and 70%; and in hospitalization, from 29% to 34%.

Only until yesterday, Quito registered 70.166 infected out of 215.080 cases reported nationwide.

In the intensive therapy rooms of the health houses of the network, which includes sanatoriums of the MSP, IESS, Isspol and Issfa, the occupancy was between 90% and 95%, until the previous Friday. Meanwhile, in hospitalization from 50% to 57%.

Something similar happens in the establishments of the private network. As of December 29, of the 31 ICU beds for patients with coronavirus, 26 were occupied, that is, 83%.

Ana Delgado, executive director of the National Association of Private Clinics and Hospitals of Ecuador (Achpe) indicated that, in hospitalization, 26 of the 52 sites were full.

With this background, the Ministry of Health decided to reactivate more areas for patient care, as was done in July and August.

In the educational area, some guidelines were also established due to the virus. Of the more than 3.500 students who were in face-to-face classes (out of 4.5 million) returned to telematic mode. The objective is to give way to the virus incubation process (5 to 14 days), to make decisions that do not have an impact on the health system.

Similarly, it will wait until January 18 to make decisions, as the Minister of Education, Monserrat Creamer, said that students from 283 schools are expected to resume the face-to-face mode, as well as 12 universities and institutes. But for epidemiologists, it is better that education continues to be taught in virtual mode, because the new variant of the virus also affects young people and children more frequently.