Coronavirus outbreak on a graduate trip: there are already 66 infections in a group from Bahía Blanca that returned from Bariloche

Gabriel Bermudez

01/20/2021 7:42 PM

• Clarín.com

• Society

Updated 01/20/2021 7:42 PM

There are already

66 infected

with coronavirus in the first travel contingent of graduates that returned this year to

Bahía Blanca

from Bariloche.

The outbreak involves

both students and companions

from this city and Pigüé who had left for the south in early 2021.

The health authorities are still awaiting the result of the tests carried out on the rest of the group, which made up about 350 people.

"We do not rule out that the number of cases

continues to grow

,"

Ezequiel Jouglard, undersecretary of Comprehensive Health Care

, told

Clarín

.

In their area, responsible for the epidemiological monitoring of the pandemic in the city, they are waiting for the arrival, towards the weekend, of

a second contingent

, also from

Bariloche

.

"It is a similar number of travelers and in the next few hours, we will know their state of health," said the official.

Before returning, 27 members of the first group had tested positive in the test they carried out in the tourist city of Rio Negro.

To travel, they were all located in a single bus that left on Friday and arrived at the Bahia terminal on Saturday morning.

Operation of disinfection of the buses that arrive in Bahia.

In a contingent of graduates from the city, who had gone to Bariloche, 66 cases of coronavirus were detected.

As they went down, their luggage was sprayed with quaternary ammonium, a powerful disinfectant, before they were reunited with their relatives.

They had to wait outside the station and transport them in the back seat of the car, diagonally to the driver, with the windows open and the mask on.

Once in their homes, they began the

isolation

period of

between 10 and 14 days

, monitored by the contingency committee for Covid-19.

The rest of the passage had also been swabbed and at 48 hours, the outbreak had already grown to 44 infected.

This Wednesday the number had risen to 61 only among the students and companions of Bahía Blanca, who added about 300 travelers.

In all cases,

the affectation is mild

, since the majority are young patients.

The other 5 confirmed infected are from Pigüé, where about fifty students had departed on the same date.

All had hired the same student tourism company from Bahia, the group responsible.

It is not ruled out that there are also more infected among travelers from that town in the Saavedra district, 130 kilometers from Bahía Blanca.

The district health authorities have not yet provided details.

Along with the bus of the first 27 infected, another eight groups arrived that were subjected to the same disinfection process, 50 meters from the platform sector of the bus terminal, practically empty.

Although the state of health with which the second contingent will arrive is still unknown, they will be instructed

to act as if they were infected

.

"Our recommendation will be that they remain isolated for two weeks because we understand that although the activity is authorized, it increases the risk of contagion," explained Jouglard.

The new 61 cases of this conglomerate are added to the outbreak that Bahía Blanca is experiencing, with a daily average, for the last 14 days, of 113 infections.

This Wednesday 111 were reported for a total of 12,149 patients.

Active patients total 1,278 and those awaiting the test result reach 116. In hospitals, the intensive care area is covered by 35% and beds for patients with Covid-19 are covered by 44%.

At a general level, the current demand for hospital places is 54.7%.

White Bay.

Correspondent.

DD

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