The City insists that the health system 'has scope' and restricts activities 'to the bare minimum'

Martin Bravo

04/11/2021 18:20

• Clarín.com

• Politics

Updated 04/11/2021 18:20

Given the increase in cases of coronavirus, the alert for the high occupancy of intensive care beds and the position of the Province of considering the latest measures insufficient, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta will not move for the moment from the position of

restricting "the bare minimum"

activities in the search for a “balance” between health and the economy.

Senior city officials admitted a

“delicate”

outlook

due to the steep infection curve, although they downplayed the warnings about the possible collapse of the health system.

"We are going to promote the taking of the

exclusively necessary measures

and prioritizing education and employment, and restricting the bare minimum to try to preserve education and employment," said Felipe Miguel - Buenos Aires Chief of Cabinet -

Clarín.

Alberto Fernández, with Horacio Rodríguez Larreta and Axel Kicillof.

In this case there was no meeting, due to the positive covid of the President.

And he added: “That requires three things: a strong vaccination strategy, testing and complying with prevention and protocols.

We are going to tighten controls, but we trust the responsibility of the people ”.

After describing

the second wave of the pandemic

as a

“tsunami”

, Axel Kicillof set the stage for new restrictions with the signing of a decree to eventually suspend face-to-face classes and extend the driving ban.

The Buenos Aires Ministry of Health, representatives of the public and private sectors called for

"more drastic measures"

, to which was added the concern about

intensive care beds at the limit

(in many cases, between 95% and 100%) in the private clinics in the City.

“There is a 'closureist' operation, everyone is pressing

.

We are in a delicate situation, with a high curve, but we are going to maintain the balance and continue monitoring day by day ”, confirmed to this newspaper a source from the Buenos Aires government, and argued that the percentages of ICU occupancy in private sanatoriums grew by

the rest of the pathologies and scheduled operations

that lead to intensive care, beyond the coronavirus.

“It is not linear, the private health system has approximately 1,500 intensive care beds.

If you allocate 500 to Covid and the rest to other hospitalization services, which for them is more profitable and we understand it, now they may be missing but

it is not possible to close the City for that

.

What needs to be done is to increase those destined for Covid.

In the public sector we are more comfortable, "said another official over the numbers and decisions on restrictions.

Earlier this month, the City ordered a

reduction in scheduled surgeries and other benefits

at public hospitals.

“In the worst peak in August there were 350 beds occupied, 69%.

Today we are at 230, 240. For now

the system has a margin

and we have to affect the activity as little as possible ”, they agreed to maintain the most flexible position with respect to the province of Buenos Aires.

There was even some criticism: “It is incredible that they took action and

just 48 hours later they continue to press

”.

Rodríguez Larreta also decided to

uphold the face-to-face class scheme

as a “priority”, beyond the exponential increase in cases and the pressure from a sector of the teaching unions.

Vaccine negotiations

The City started the negotiations to try to obtain vaccines - Vice Chief Diego Santilli mentioned possible negotiations with AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson - although without the expectation of short-term results.

Even in the face of warnings from health referents and the private sector, the City will continue to

differ from the position of the province

of Buenos Aires on eventual greater restrictions.

"We must not rule out anything, but we go day by day and except in an emergency we are not going to promote new closures," the officials insisted.

Look also

Alberto Fernández - Horacio Rodríguez Larreta - Axel Kicillof: tension peaks and threats of closing everything again

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