Guatemala publicizes narrate of emergency over Delta COVID surge

Guatemala has declared a contemporary narrate of emergency and can impose an in a single day curfew from Sunday to possess a surge in COVID infections as a result of the Delta variant, President Alejandro Giammattei acknowledged.

The 30-day narrate of emergency is being carried out because of a rebound in cases attributed to the “extra aggressive” Delta variant, Giammattei acknowledged in a televised address on Friday.

“The Delta variant is extremely contagious. It is causing contemporary outbreaks and a complete lot of governments possess had to impose contemporary restrictions on their populations as a mitigation measure. Guatemala can no longer be the exception,” he acknowledged.

Guatemala, with about 17 million inhabitants, has been recording extra than 4,000 contemporary infections a day, with 407,564 cases and 11,006 deaths since the commence up of the pandemic.

Under the narrate of emergency, which must always be ratified by Congress, an in a single day curfew shall be imposed from Sunday, working from 10: 00 pm to 4: 00 am.

It also provides for dashing up the acquisition of provides to handle the pandemic, establishes minimum and maximum prices for needed items and bans mass meetings, even supposing demonstrations that observe social distancing measures shall be allowed.

“The measures are targeted on containing the virus,” acknowledged the president, a professional doctor who has faced customary side road protests to search data from his resignation because of allegations of corruption and accusations of mishandling the pandemic.

He previously imposed a narrate of emergency in March last 365 days when Guatemala recorded its first coronavirus case.

© 2021 AFP