The representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Chile, Fernando Leanes, warned the Chilean authorities that this was “the worst time” to relax the measures against covid-19.
“This would be the worst time to relax; the coming weeks of autumn and winter could result in a very high risk of contagion due to the high incidence of cases and the increased use of enclosed environments,” Leanes told local radio cooperative.
The statements made by the representative of WHO take place on the same day that the Chilean Ministry of Health reported 7,680 new contagions, the highest number since 17 April, and a death number of 172 totaling more than 28,000.
In addition, the positivity rate – the number of infected detected per 100 PCR tests – is 10.02%. To compare this record, it should be noted that a positivity rate of less than 5% for 2 weeks in a row is one of the epidemiological criteria established by WHO to control the pandemic.
“We are seeing an increase in cases and obviously we are very concerned about that,” Health Minister Enrique Paris said when it comes to communicating developments in the state of the pandemic.
The authority detailed that in the last 7 days cases have increased by 11% nationally.
This bad data came after several days of good registrations and the consequent lifting of restrictions on citizens and the opening of bars and restaurants in many areas of the country.
“This is not a Chilean phenomenon, a fledgling increase in cases is occurring in all Southern Cone countries, reversing a trend that was coming towards decline,” Leanes said.
Information on Thursday’s uptick in contagion in Chile was accompanied by the announcement that the country has already fully empused more than 50% of the target population, equivalent to more than 7.6 million people.
Faced with this breakthrough, undersecretary of health, Paula Daza, reported on Thursday that some “individual freedoms” will soon be released that some people who have completed their vaccination process and are in districts that are not in full quarantine will enjoy greater.
The country carries out one of the fastest and most successful immunization processes in the world: it is the second with the highest percentage of the population vaccinated at two doses, according to data from the University of Oxford, and more than 62% of the population has received a dose.
