How the quarantine in the GBA continues: the "cautious phase 3" will be with shops and activities, but without runners or recreational outings

Fabian Debesa

07/17/2020 - 14:11

• Clarín.com
• Society

With commercial and industrial activity, but without exercises in public spaces or outings so that the little ones can play outdoors. The Buenos Aires area of ​​the AMBA will maintain the restriction in the category defined as "recreational activities" in the new Phase 3 of the coronavirus quarantine, announced by President Alberto Fernández this Friday at noon.

Children under 12 years old can continue to accompany their parents in making purchases in local stores. This is how it worked in the suburbs before July 1, when it was decided to extend the quarantine and make it more rigid. There are some rules to obtain that permission from the Buenosairean infants: they have enabled one exit per day and only one child per parent.

This is what the instructions say, but as with other fragments of social isolation in Greater Buenos Aires, things are sometimes activated with their own dynamics . The reason: it is impossible to control the movement of 13 million people who live together on a surface that covers just 3% of the provincial territory. Then, the confinement is carried out according to the responsibility of the inhabitants . And of the concrete possibilities that the own norms that govern -by case- in the 1,400 settlements and urban sectors of high social vulnerability allow them.

With that exception, the province reported that more than 50 industrial and economic activities will resume their rhythm as it was until the last day of June: with protocol, with the transfer of its own personnel, with time limitations. On Monday, the activity of companies will begin, on Wednesday the neighborhood businesses and on Monday 27, the professional activities allowed. Governor Axel Kicillof announced this Friday at noon, and anticipated that the details will be announced at a press conference in La Plata by the provincial chief of staff and the minister of health this Friday at 6:00 p.m. 

Among the items that will reopen are clothing, real estate, construction-related businesses. Gastronomy and food houses will continue with delivery on the premises or to take away. The shifters could work on the weekends. 

The "child factor" opened some cracks in the appreciation they have from the provincial government and some municipalities. In La Plata he prepares a plan for recreational outings to public green spaces. Boys and girls may be accompanied by an adult, will last two hours and can be done from Monday to Friday. "The idea is to put together  special operations in parks, squares and boulevards to promote respect for distance, the use of face masks and that everyone circulates around the perimeter according to clockwise," they explained. But they admitted that to put it into practice they need to  obtain the endorsement of the Province .

The "liberal" professions will return on July 27 to the scheme of 16 days ago. Accountants, notaries and lawyers with permission to enter and serve clients in their offices, with health care. Medical specialties (kinesiologists, masseurs, speech therapists, nutritionists) also return to the plan that the Chief of Staff of Axel Kicillof had enabled in different resolutions promoted by the mayors.

They call it "Phase 3 cautiously" in the Interior. And they clarified that it will be tested for two weeks, with review, careful observation of the pandemic data and subsequent new analysis, to determine whether it is moving forward or backward.

La Plata. Correspondent

ACE