Authorities activated quarantine in 7 entities
Dressed with gloves and face masks, civil and military authorities activated the quarantine at the seven entities of the country at 5 am yesterday, as a preventive measure to stop the spread of the coronavirus, a pandemic that has already killed 6,668 people worldwide.
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The quarantine, which implies for people to stay inside their residences, was decreed by President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas, La Guaira, Miranda, Zulia, Apure, Cojedes and Táchira. In the case of the Venezuelan capital, a phase called Protection and Containment began yesterday.
The Minister of Interiors and Justice, Néstor Luis Reverol, accompanied by the head of the Operational Command of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (Ceofanb), Remigio Ceballo, were at the old toll in Tazón, beginning the quarantine. "This is a barrier that we are activating to prevent the spread of this virus that plagues the world," said Ceballos, who had behind him a wall of police and military officials deployed across the highway.
“At this very moment we are closing the entire capital city. With the exceptions indicated in the decrees, "said the head of Ceofanb.
At that same time, the Executive Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, and the Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino, were at the Metropolitan Distributor, located at the entrance of Caracas from the east. From there they reported that the sectors exempt from quarantine are: health, food production and distribution, telecommunications, solid waste, electricity, water and domestic gas. Padrino López explained that the quarantine in the seven entities seeks to restrict the movement of the population.
Epidemiological fence. On the Caracas-La Guaira highway, the sector vice president for the social area, Aristóbulo Istúriz, activated the containment phase. In this regard, he explained that security agencies are deployed in 14 points in the capital region. While an epidemiological fence was installed at the Simón Bolívar International Airport, which consists of checking the entry and exit of passengers. To do this, officials will use the digital thermometer.
Caracas protects itself. In addition to security checkpoints, in various areas of the capital it was observed that most of the people wore masks and some even wore gloves.
In popular areas such as Petare and Catia, businesses were working normally, but they only opened sales of basic necessities that include food and toiletries and personal hygiene.
In Petare, at 2:00 pm, the santamarías began to get off, because according to police bodies until that time the provision of services was allowed.
In transportation, both vans on urban routes and the Caracas Metro, officials of the National Guard and National Police enforced the order of the mandatory use of the mask for drivers and passengers. People who were not wearing their face masks were not allowed to board the units, nor were citizens standing on buses.
Likewise, in supermarkets, markets, bakeries and pharmacies, buyers were not allowed to enter without their proper protection to prevent the proliferation of the coronavirus.
Matraqueo in San Antonio
In an alcabala in San Antonio de los Altos, Miranda, alleged officials of the Bolivarian National Guard demanded $ 10 to let him go to Caracas to a worker who verified with his card that he belonged to one of the excepted sectors, according to testimony. In view of this situation, the worker had to return to his residence in Los Teques. In the vicinity of the Oriente terminal, two other workers in an excepted sector were also asked for a pass. They showed the license of the medium where they work but the officials of the Bolivarian National Police demanded that they return. The workers insisted until they managed to advance to Caracas.
Exonerated
"Safe-conduct is your work card." This was explained by the Defense Minister, Vladimir Padrino López, when clarifying who can circulate in the midst of the quarantine. "Anyone who needs to go to the pharmacy to buy a medicine can do it," said the minister. "If a patient needs to go to a health center for an appointment, that patient will go with his report," he said.
Padrino López made it clear that public transport is one of the sectors exempt from the quarantine decree. From the Bolivarian National Police they explained that only drivers will be required to wear a mask and gloves. Other workers with free movement in the quarantine areas are those who work in the health, media, food production and pharmaceutical sectors.