President Maduro Orders Quarantine Tightening: Covid-19 Cases Increase in Six States

On Thursday, the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, ordered the tightening of the quarantine for the Covid-19 coronavirus in Caracas and five states of the country (Miranda, La Guaira, Aragua, Zulia and Bolívar), as well as the immediate expansion of the sanitary cordon on the border with Colombia and Brazil, due to the up tick in cases, driven by the entry of people into the country without going through the checkpoints. The suspension of the Metro and public transportation in some cities is being studied.

“I am ordering the extension of the sanitary cordon on the border with Colombia and Brazil, and the radicalization of the quarantine for the next seven days, at least in Caracas, Miranda, La Guaira, Aragua, Zulia and Bolívar,” emphasized the president, who directed a working meeting broadcasted by VTV.

“We are going to extraordinary and special measures to radicalize, starting Monday, the in-depth quarantine and house-to-house visits,” in order to control and cut the growth of the Covid-19.

Offering the daily report and noting that among the new cases reported on Thursday, 13 were from Caracas alone, he warned: “Caracas residents, the virus is on the street. I have to alert you early about this situation.”

“I have received recommendations to close the Caracas Metro, metro systems in other cities, public transportation and take radical measures to cut off the expansion of the Covid-19 in time, while we can,” said the President, but he pointed out that the Covid-19 Presidential Commission will give more details on the measures on Friday.

On Wednesday, the President announced that special measures would be taken after 236 positive cases were confirmed. This Thursday, 97 new cases were confirmed.

Maduro pointed out that there has been a strong rebound of the Covid-19 in various parts of the country, due to “unruly and irresponsible people” who have entered Venezuela on irregular roads (trails), circumventing controls and quarantine rules that those who return to Venezuela must follow, after receiving the respective tests. It is important to note that the Venezuelan government bears all the costs, both for food and logistics, and for carrying out tests to detect Covid-19.

The head of state admitted that the PASI (Points of Comprehensive Social Care, which serve people who return to the country from neighboring nations, such as Colombia and Brazil) have performed very poorly in Caracas. “They were in hotels and they thought they were on vacation. They received the family, and they went out there to walk and visit,” he said. “They violated the protocols and contaminated their neighbors and families. They worked very badly!

In Zulia, the sanitary cordon and PASI also had operational problems, Maduro said.

The Venezuelan president reported that they will take “drastic and draconian measures” to restore the functioning of the PASI.

He denounced, in Bolívar state, “unscrupulous coyotes” for charging $100 or $150 and circumventing health controls at dawn. Infected people pass through Boa Vista (Brazil) who have infected people in the eastern part of the country and in Bolívar state.”

97 new cases

Venezuela confirmed 97 new positive cases on Thursday raising to 3,483 the total number of cases.

46 are cases of community transmission, of which 14 correspond to the contagion hotspot at the Las Pulgas Market, in the state of Zulia; and 13 are from the Capital District . “Caracas men and women: the virus is on the street. I have to alert you early,” he said.

The outbreak at the Flea Market has already caused a total of 373 cases.

Similarly, 51 imported cases were confirmed. Of these, 41 cases are people from Colombia and 10 cases come from Brazil.

On the cases, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez detailed:

In Caracas

47-year-old man in Sucre parish.
38-year-old man at El Recreo.
41-year-old woman in Santa Rosalía.
54-year-old man in Caricuao.
25-year-old man in El Valle.
38-year-old woman in El Valle.
35-year-old man in Santa Teresa.
35-year-old man in Cathedral parish.
37-year-old man from El Paraíso, a ministry official.

She detailed four cases in La Vega parish in Caracas:

68-year-old woman.
37 year old woman.
66-year-old woman.
12 year old boy.

Rodríguez warned that more than 10 cases have been totaled in El Valle. All parishes in Caracas have active cases.

Miranda State

52-year-old woman from the Guaicaipuro municipality, kilometer 9 of the Pan-American Highway, a housewife.
58-year-old woman, sister of the previous case.
53-year-old man, from the municipality of El Hatillo.
Person in Minas de Baruta.
19-year-old boy, who was already in a health center for another reason, and his case was detected after being tested.

Bolivar state

28-year-old man, in the Gran Sabana municipality.
28-year-old man from the Caroní municipality, a comprehensive community doctor who had contact with a colleague in the search for cases.
44-year-old woman from Caroní, mother of the previous case.
29-year-old woman from Caroní, sister of the previous case.

Falcon State

50-year-old man from the Colina municipality, Las Calderas parish. He is in poor health, in a sentinel hospital, with a cough and general malaise. He presents severe respiratory failure.
50-year-old man from the Miranda municipality, relative of a positive patient.
20-year-old woman from the Miranda municipality.
22-year-old man from the same family as the previous one.

Carabobo state

57-year-old man, an electric service worker who had recently traveled to Zulia state.
9-month-old girl.
39-year-old woman, a health worker who had contact with a positive case.

Merida state

83-year-old man, diabetic, a serious case. He has pneumonia and is in intensive care.
49-year-old woman from the Sucre municipality, population of Ponds. Her husband is a merchant in the flea market.