08/24/2020 - 11:13
- Clarín.com
- Society
A massive protest took place in the streets of the department of General Roca, in Río Negro, in rejection of the decision of the provincial government to return to phase 1 of isolation in 14 municipalities due to the increase in cases of coronavirus. People mobilized in cars and on foot.
Where the claim was heard the most on Sunday night was in the cities of General Roca and Cipolletti , with streets full of cars in caravans against the measure. The main request was that the activities enabled in recent weeks, especially commercial ones , not be reversed .
The protest was replicated in other parts of the region affected by the new provincial regulations, such as Fernández Oro, Allen, Villa Regina, Cinco Saltos and Catriel.
The call was made just two hours after Governor Arabela Carreras announced at a press conference the return to phase 1 of social, preventive and mandatory isolation due to the pandemic, due to the increase in cases in recent days.
"There was a very important growth of infections, and that impacts on the health system that is undergoing a lot of pressure at the moment, and the limitation of beds is already evident," remarked the president together with the Minister of Health, Fabián Zgaib, and the spokeswoman for the health portfolio, Mercedes Iberó.
#cipolletti
5 months of quarantine to prepare the health system. They did nothing and now the fault lies with the merchants who do not want to merge ... pic.twitter.com/m95u665zyK
Until the last part issued, the number of cases accumulated throughout the province was 4,584, of which 1,505 are active, 2,950 recovered from the disease and 129 people died.
" We do not share the governor's decision to return to phase 1. It is not shared by any of the Cipolletti chambers with whom I am in permanent communication. We believe that we must work on the main source of contagion, which is the meeting. It is not the shops. that they are extremely beaten, "said José Luis Bunter, president of the Chamber of Commerce in Cipolletti.
The measure affects a large number of commercial activities that from Tuesday will have to close their doors for two weeks and "only activities considered essential will be allowed , " said the governor.
In addition, he warned that "the valid permit to circulate is the one generated in the Río Negro Circulation application, so all permits from the General Roca department must be managed again ."
In Cipolletti, more than a hundred people went to complain to the house of Mayor Claudio Di Tella. Something similar happened in Villa Regina, when neighbors approached Marcelo Orazi's home, although in this case it ended with violence: a group of people threw bricks at the front of the place.
Bricks against the house of the mayor of Villa Regina. TV capture.
The mayor of General Roca, against the measure
The mayor of General Roca, María Emilia Soria , questioned the decision of Governor Carreras to order a return to phase 1 for 14 municipalities as a result of the increase in cases of coronavirus and maintained that " there is no clarity in the direction of health policy provincial".
"I do not agree that returning to Phase 1 is the solution. A few days ago the authorization to gastronomic companies was arranged and now it is proposed to move towards the other extreme ," said the mayor through social networks.
The Rio Negro city of General Roca has 282 infected and is the second commune in the province with more cases after Bariloche, which has 390 according to the last part reported by the provincial health portfolio.
The caravan of cars in General Roca against the return to phase 1 of isolation. Photo Twitter.
"I share the concern about the saturation of the health system and I agree that urgent measures must be taken to stop the growth of the contagion curve, I also agree that, to stop the infections, the circulation of people in the city must decrease. But I do not agree that going to Phase 1 is the solution, "said the mayor of General Roca through social networks.
He also said that "it is proven that the sources of contagion are not in work, commercial, productive or sports activities that work with rigorous health protocols; but in social gatherings, family or friends lunches , roasts, birthdays, rounds of mate and encounters between people without respecting the use of masks and other established preventive measures ".
"I hope that the Río Negro government will review this decision to return to Phase 1," said Soria.
With information from Télam.
LP