Anahí Cazas / La Paz
Given the small number of Covid-19 cases, the city of Sucre has already taken the first step and its Municipal Council approved a law on Wednesday to stop wearing the mask in open public spaces. In the last few hours, the municipality of Santa Cruz de la Sierra reported that it is preparing a municipal decree to abolish the obligation to use the mask in public spaces.
In the case of La Paz, the municipality proposed that the use of the chinstrap in open spaces be voluntary and that it be kept in closed spaces. This suggestion will be analyzed in the coming days in the Municipal Scientific Committee.
The Minister of Health, Jeyson Auza, asked to maintain the use of the chinstrap and recalled that the pandemic is not over. “If we give the population a false sense that this is over, we are going to decrease vaccination rates and the possibility of diagnosis,” he said.
In Sucre, the president of the Municipal Council, Óscar Sandy Rojas, explained that all his colleagues agreed that by maintaining care, citizens can “little by little loosen the chinstrap, especially in open places.”
Sandy stated that it is mandatory to maintain the use of a mask in educational units, universities and other entities that operate in closed places – areas where there are crowds of people.
According to the councilman, people who go to parks or squares are no longer required to wear a mask.
You can also read: Auza on the removal of the chinstrap: We cannot give the feeling that the pandemic is over
In the municipality of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, the Mayor’s Office reported yesterday that it is preparing a mayor’s decree to eliminate the obligation to wear the chinstrap in public spaces. This rule will be analyzed on Monday at the meeting of the Municipal Operations and Emergency Center (COEM).
The municipal secretary of Health, Roberto Vargas, said that next Monday’s meeting will define whether or not the use of a mask in open environments is suspended. He indicated that “in closed places, the mask should still be kept on because it helps prevent Covid-19 and other seasonal diseases, such as influenza and other types of respiratory viruses.”
According to Vargas, this measure will depend on the spread of Covid-19 and the municipal authorities will evaluate the last two weeks. The official recalled that the previous week, the Santa Cruz municipality registered a slight increase in cases after 14 weeks of decline.
The Santa Cruz Mayor’s Office indicated that another key factor to give the green light to the measure is the immunization coverage that reaches 74% of the population of vaccinable age in the department.
Before the announcement of the municipal measure, the Santa Cruz Governorate warned that the measure is not timely and warned that the suspension of the use of the chinstrap in open spaces must be carried out in optimal conditions; For example, the use of the mask should not be lifted in spaces where there are crowds of people.
You can also read: The COEM of Santa Cruz will analyze on Monday whether or not to lift the use of a chinstrap in public spaces
“We ask the population to maintain biosecurity measures: the chinstrap, hand washing and social distancing because the pandemic has not yet left the department or the country,” explained yesterday the departmental secretary of Health and Human Development of the Government of Santa Cruz, Fernando Pacheco.
In La Paz, Mayor Iván Arias proposed that the use of the chinstrap in open spaces be voluntary. “I am in favor that in open spaces we should not use, but we will consult our Scientific Committee,” he said.
The municipal secretary of Health and Sports, Cecilia Vargas, assured that there are three elements to avoid covid infections: vaccination, ventilation of environments and the use of the chinstrap. “Emphasize that as the Municipal Government of La Paz we did a great job, we are increasing vaccination levels at school age. Those who are not vaccinated is not because there is no vaccine, it is not because we have not gone to school, it is because the father does not authorize, due to negligence, ”she said.
immunization
- Immunization “In the case of La Paz we have more than 80% in the third dose and 100% in the first and second doses. We are very well and to the extent that we have obtained, the demand has made people vaccinate more”, said the mayor of La Paz, Iván Arias.
- Suggestion Mayor Arias proposed to stop wearing the mask in March.
