Briefing

Over 120 Infected Health Workers

Deputy Olivares’s figures are worse than the regime’s, which has admitted to 16,000 cases of COVID-19. Zulia’s Doctors Collegiate says that 17 professionals have already died

Naky Soto

Photo: The Globe and Mail

  • On Monday, 525 new cases of COVID-19 were registered, said Nicolás’s Communications minister, Jorge Rodríguez, and Caracas (151), Zulia (97), Miranda (69), Vargas (44) and Sucre (38), are the five places with the worst numbers. There have been 15,988 cases in total, maybe they decided to strike out from the record 12 cases that would have brought us to 16,000. In addition, Rodríguez reported about four deaths, which brings the total to 146.
  • Deputy José Manuel Olivares, commissioner for the health emergency, reported that they’ve confirmed 133 coronavirus deaths that the regime hasn’t mentioned. He specified that over 30 of those patients were health workers and over 120 health workers are infected. He said that people are fearful of revealing their symptoms because of how they will be treated. About hospital capacity, Olivares reiterated that the figures the regime provides are fake: “Over 52% of ERs lack the capacity to treat COVID-19 patients,” he said. He emphasized that there’s a substantial increase of cases and lack of quick response tests in eastern states, which is a serious concern for doctors. He also reported that ICUs are at 62% of their occupancy and that there are no ventilators available. “Even in the hotels, they’re hospitalizing patients, close to reaching maximum occupancy,” he said and assured that hospitalizing asymptomatic patients in hotels is the wrong call. The deputy condemned that the regime’s Science and Technology said that lemongrass oil can cure and prevent coronavirus. “They’re still handling this as if it were a game, a mere electoral prop,” he said and assured that this recommendation proves the inexpertise of those in charge. 
  • The president of Zulia’s Doctors Collegiate, Daniela Parra, confirmed the deaths of 17 doctors in the region and that they’ve “lost count of how many health professionals have been infected.” 
  • Theresly Malavé, deputy Gilber Caro’s lawyer, assured on Monday that the deputy isn’t getting medical care and is kept under food deprivation, part of the inhuman, degrading and cruel treatment against Caro, who is illegally detained in FAES headquarters. She said that in his previous detention, Gilber Caro had tuberculosis and bacteria in his stomach, but in addition, neither Caro nor deputy Renzo Prieto are allowed visits from their families or lawyers. “They don’t allow us in, they don’t allow visitors, they don’t listen and we’re afraid for their lives. There isn’t an institution to turn to. Regarding Gilber Caro, it’s an extreme concern,” said Malavé. She reiterated that the detention is political and demanded his freedom. “We came here so the measures can be taken in time and not when it’s too late,” she said and added that “this is state policy, it’s a way of punishing people who think differently, but we must keep fighting.” 
  • There were two fires at the Cardón refinery over the weekend, in Paraguaná’s Oil Complex: “Cardón is technically inoperative. It has several structural problems. It had been operating at severe risk and producing 27,000 bpd. Producing gas and reactivating Cardón are almost impossible,” said Eudis Girot, executive director of the Sole Federation of Oil Workers. 
  • Mgr. Roberto Lückert assured on Monday that churches lack the conditions to receive COVID-19 patients, responding to Nicolás’s “idea” of using churches as shelters for patients: “The thing is that whenever he’s on TV, he says anything that pops up in his head (…)  He never prepared to make the decisions that must be made in situations like these, where there’s a lack of sanitary personnel.” How many bathrooms are there in a church? In social media, people asked why we aren’t using facilities in Fuerte Tiuna.
  • According to the Global Trend of Forced Displacement Report 2019, published by the UNHCR in June, Venezuela is the second country with the highest number of displaced citizens, the country with the worst exodus in the region’s recent history and one of the worst crises in the entire world. The European Commission for Humanitarian Aid donated 7 million dollars to the UNHCR to alleviate the impact of coronavirus of Venezuelan migrants and refugees and their receiving countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, the region that is now the epicenter of the pandemic, which makes refugees and migrants more vulnerable because of the devastating effects on the economy and public health systems. The UNHCR also reported about their efforts to protect Venezuelans in Brazil. Babar Baloch said that they have provided infrastructure to strengthen the health system, primary care, hygiene kits and information. So far, the UNHCR has confirmed 19 deaths in refugees in Brazil, out of which nine were indigenous Venezuelan refugees. 
  • The ELN took over Seboruco in Táchira state. It was announced by guerrillas on July 24th, said Sebastiana Barráez, a journalist specialized in military sources. That day, the ELN introduced itself to the community in a mandatory attendance meeting, presided by alias Yirson, alleged commander of the guerrilla, who issued the new rules, including a curfew. Juan Guaidó condemned that the ELN controls Seboruco and called on the Armed Forces to defend our sovereignty and the Constitution, because not doing so would be “enduring the shame of collaborating with drug traffickers and closing the door on the support that Venezuelans need today.” 
  • Moderna, a biotech company, alongside the U.S. government, started one of the world’s largest trials for an experimental vaccine against COVID-19 on 30,000 volunteers. It’s the first experimental vaccine outside of China with such a broad reach, to prove its efficiency and safety. Out of 30,000 volunteers who will get two doses of the vaccine within 28 days, half will get a placebo so they can evaluate the efficiency of the vaccine, said Dr. Anthony Fauci. After the doses, experts will analyze potential side effects and if it can prevent the most severe cases of COVID-19 and how many doses are necessary to guarantee an immune response. Fauci explained that the conclusions could be ready in “early November.”
Briefing

Naky Soto

Naky gets called Naibet at home and at the bank. She coordinates training programs for an NGO. She collects moments and turns them into words. She has more stories than freckles.

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