translated from Spanish: Authorities audited free fairs on quarantine weekend in RM

The metropolitan mayor, Felipe Guevara, together with authorities, this Saturday audited the operation of the free fairs in the first weekend of quarantine, after the Metropolitan Region went back to Phase 2 of the Step-by-Step Plan to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the country.” The fairs in our region are 455 and give work to almost one hundred thousand entrepreneurs and supply 2 million people each month. Therefore, maintaining fairs is really very important to continue with the food chain in our region. 70% of the fruit and vegetables sold are made at the fair. Same as 50% seafood and 50% of eggs. That’s why ‘taking care of the fair’ is the call we want to make,” the authority said. The mayor noted that going to the fair “doesn’t mean coming for a walk. I know the fair is fun, I know it’s entertaining. But right now that a single person comes from the family and with the corresponding permission. For as little time as possible, may he stock up on what is necessary and return home.” I want to remember that we are quarantined, and therefore it is exceptional permission to go and buy food. Let’s take care of the fair and for that keep the distance, come with mask, use alcohol gel, hopefully let the local handling the fruit and vegetables and not the customers because if we pass the fruit and vegetables from hand to hand, it can finally be a cause of contagion,” he said. In addition, he recalled that on this occasion, the audit “has to do with taking care of a space that allows to maintain the food chain. Along with this, knowing that Interregional transfer has been prohibited in Phase 2, we are with 14 sanitary customs, at the airport, in the bus terminals, in Central Station with the trains. The same in the tenure roads are controlling people who depart via private cars along the 13 routes of entry and exit of the Metropolitan Region.” And most importantly, despite all these efforts, there are 56 carabinieri vehicles available only to deal with nightly complaints; clandestine parties, irregular social gatherings, where we call to denounce them. We have the capacity, but we need the auditing eyes of the 7 and a half million people in our region to work together to get us out of this phase 2 and this quarantine as soon as possible,” he concluded.

Original source in Spanish