The Ministry of Health (Minsal) decided to suspend the Tirana Festival, which is celebrated every July 16 in the Tarapacá region. The ministry based its decision on the high circulation of respiratory diseases in the area.
According to the Minister of Health, María Begoña Yarza, “what was carried out today was an evaluation by the council of experts (…) what was done was to evaluate the opinion, the recommendation made by the local government, the local health authority.”
“We are going to be very respectful of the local health authority, of the decisions that are taken in the territories, in that there are not two opinions and the advisory council shares that criterion,” he added.
“It is a decision that has to be taken by the local health authority in conjunction with the local government of the territory, who has in view the best and most timely background of the epidemiological reality,” he added.
The governor of the Tarapacá region, José Miguel Carvajal, regretted the decision and indicated that “we made available resources from the region, coordination and efforts. But we knew that the health authority had the last word. Very bad news for the region and the afternoon.”
The Tirana Festival was suspended in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was carried out again in 2021, with measures such as the use of the mask and social distancing. However, it was suspended again for this year.
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