Ministry of Health reports a slowdown in infections nationwide in the last week

The director of the National Center for Epidemiology, Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) of the Ministry of Health (Minsa)César Munayco, informed this Monday that in the last week there was a deceleration of COVID-19 infections in Peru.

“The number of cases is slowing down, in week two we had the highest number of cases, but it still remains to be defined whether we have reached the peak or not. In the following week we must have that clear, for now the main message is that we have slowed down at the national level in the number of infections“, he pointed.

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Munayco also reported that a significant increase in the number of deaths continues. “This number went up 50%, then 100%, and we’re about a 25% increase from the previous week. It is most likely that this increase in the number of deaths could persist in the following weeks.”, he indicated.

The spokesman mentioned that the victims were mostly older adults between 70 and 80 years old.

Regarding hospitalizations, he indicated that although there has been an increase, these have also slowed down, as have infections. He added that in the coming weeks there could be a slight increase.

Regarding ICU beds, he pointed out that occupancy is at 71% and has been slightly reduced at the national level.

Metropolitan Lima

In the case of Metropolitan Lima, Munayco reported that a slowdown in the number of cases is also observed, although the number of deaths has increased rapidly by up to 100% from week to week.

“That is why vaccination is important, the third dose is key to reducing the risk of severe disease and death”, he emphasized in his weekly conference.

In that sense, he stressed that thanks to vaccination “We have not had a much higher increase in deaths or hospitalizations and that is important because it reduces the impact of the pandemic”.

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Children’s situation

Munayco responded that the slowdown in cases also occurs in children. “When the pandemic begins to slow down, it does so in all age groups, we have already explained that when a child becomes infected it is because an adult infects them because they do not expose themselves much”, he referred.

That is why he insisted that preventive measures such as the use of masks must continue to be maintained, not to break the family bubble, “and if we do, we will wear a mask permanently.” Added to this, he said, is handwashing and physical distancing.

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