Óscar Urenda, Secretary of Health of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, dies after contracting coronavirus

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(CNN Spanish) - The secretary of Health of the Santa Cruz Governorate, Oscar Urenda, died after contracting the coronavirus, according to what the local government reported in a statement published on its social networks on Friday.

The official had been hospitalized for about 46 days and was infected "while leading and fighting this pandemic," according to the statement.

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The interim president of Bolivia Jeanine Áñez expressed her condolences on her Twitter account: “I deeply regret the death of Dr. Oscar Urenda, an exemplary man committed to his people. My solidarity with her family, friends and all the people of Santa Cruz in these moments of pain. My prays are with you. The Lord have you in his glory, dear doctor ”.

I deeply regret the death of Dr. @oscarurenda, an exemplary man committed to his people. My solidarity with his family, friends and all the people of Santa Cruz in these moments of pain. My prays are with you. The Lord have you in your glory dear doctor.

- Jeanine Añez Chavez (@JeanineAnez) July 24, 2020

Santa Cruz is the department most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, with 31,656 cases, out of a total of 65,252 nationwide, according to data from the Ministry of Health.

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