2020 coronavirus pandemic in Peru
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The
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
in Peru has resulted in confirmed cases of
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
and deaths. The virus spread to
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...
on 6 March 2020, when a 25-year-old man who had travelled to Spain, France, and the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
tested positive. On 15 March 2020, President
Martín Vizcarra Martín Alberto Vizcarra Cornejo (; born 22 March 1963) is a Peruvian engineer and politician who served as President of Peru from 2018 to 2020. Vizcarra previously served as Governor of the Department of Moquegua (2011–2014), First Vice Pre ...
announced a country-wide
lockdown A lockdown is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks (such as COVID-19) that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely. The term is used for a prison ...
, closing borders, restricting
domestic flight A domestic flight is a form of commercial flight within civil aviation where the departure and the arrival take place in the same country. Airports serving domestic flights only are known as domestic airports. Domestic flights are generally c ...
s, and forbidding nonessential business operations, excluding
health facilities A health facility is, in general, any location where healthcare is provided. Health facilities range from small clinics and doctor's offices to urgent care centers and large hospitals with elaborate emergency rooms and trauma centers. The numbe ...
,
grocery store A grocery store ( AE), grocery shop ( BE) or simply grocery is a store that primarily retails a general range of food products, which may be fresh or packaged. In everyday U.S. usage, however, "grocery store" is a synonym for supermarket, a ...
s,
pharmacies Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...
, and
bank A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Because ...
s.
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...
, with a total population of 32 million people, had a total of 1,002
intensive care unit 220px, Intensive care unit An intensive care unit (ICU), also known as an intensive therapy unit or intensive treatment unit (ITU) or critical care unit (CCU), is a special department of a hospital or health care facility that provides intensiv ...
(ICU) beds available as of May 2020, and was working on expanding its nationwide ventilator stock from 40 to a desired 540 machines. Engineering and production are supplied by the
Peruvian Armed Forces The Peruvian Armed Forces ( es, Fuerzas Armadas del Perú) are the military services of Peru, comprising independent Army, Navy and Air Force components. Their primary mission is to safeguard the country's independence, sovereignty and territoria ...
. As of June 2020, oxygen was in short supply.


Background

On 12 January, the
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
(WHO) confirmed that a
novel coronavirus Novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a provisional name given to coronaviruses of medical significance before a permanent name is decided upon. Although coronaviruses are endemic in humans and infections normally mild, such as the common cold (caused by ...
was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in
Wuhan Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei, Hubei Province in the China, People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the List of cities in China ...
,
Hubei Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...
, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019. Unlike the
2002–2004 SARS outbreak The 2002–2004 outbreak of SARS, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-1), infected over 8,000 people from 29 countries and territories, and resulted in at least 774 deaths worldwide. The outbreak wa ...
, the
case fatality ratio In epidemiology, case fatality rate (CFR) – or sometimes more accurately case-fatality risk – is the proportion of people diagnosed with a certain disease, who end up dying of it. Unlike a disease's mortality rate, the CFR does not take int ...
for COVID-19 has been much lower, but the
transmission Transmission may refer to: Medicine, science and technology * Power transmission ** Electric power transmission ** Propulsion transmission, technology allowing controlled application of power *** Automatic transmission *** Manual transmission *** ...
has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll. COVID-19 emerged in Peru amid a political crisis spanning from 2017 as the
neoliberal Neoliberalism (also neo-liberalism) is a term used to signify the late 20th century political reappearance of 19th-century ideas associated with free-market capitalism after it fell into decline following the Second World War. A prominent fa ...
framework of the country – established by
Alberto Fujimori Alberto Kenya Fujimori Inomoto ( or ; born 28 July 1938) is a Peruvian politician, professor and former engineer who was President of Peru from 28 July 1990 until 22 November 2000. Frequently described as a dictator, * * * * * * he remains a ...
's implementation of
Plan Verde Green Plan was a clandestine military operation developed by the armed forces of Peru during the internal conflict in Peru; it involved the genocide of impoverished and indigenous Peruvians, the control or censorship of media in the nation and the ...
– began to collapse under numerous corruption scandals. Under the system, seventy-five percent of Peruvians lived hand-to-mouth in an
informal economy An informal economy (informal sector or grey economy) is the part of any economy that is neither taxed nor monitored by any form of government. Although the informal sector makes up a significant portion of the economies in developing countrie ...
that prevented participation in isolation, Peru's healthcare was largely privatized and ill-prepared while social safety nets were not established, ultimately creating a "
perfect storm A perfect storm is a meteorological event aggravated by a rare combination of circumstances. The term is used by analogy to an unusually severe storm that results from a rare combination of meteorological phenomena. Origin The Oxford English Dic ...
" of leaving citizens vulnerable to one of the highest death rates of COVID-19 in the world.


Timeline


March 2020

On 6 March, the first confirmed case in
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...
was announced. The person was a 25-year-old Peruvian living in
Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...
who had recently returned from travels in France, Spain, and the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
. A total of 11 cases were confirmed on 10 March, with 7 of the new cases being related to the first known case in Peru. On the following day, two new cases were registered. Due to the global pandemic, the Peruvian government decided to cancel classes in public and private schools, as a precautionary measure until 30 March. President
Martín Vizcarra Martín Alberto Vizcarra Cornejo (; born 22 March 1963) is a Peruvian engineer and politician who served as President of Peru from 2018 to 2020. Vizcarra previously served as Governor of the Department of Moquegua (2011–2014), First Vice Pre ...
made a national announcement on 15 March, declaring a 15-day
quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...
effective from 16 March. Putting in place stringent rules nine days after the first case was seen in the country. There was a sudden ban on all travel between provinces, all travel into and out of the country, and a ban put in place for planes, boats, trains, buses, and private automobiles. A group of four
Mexicans Mexicans ( es, mexicanos) are the citizens of the United Mexican States. The most spoken language by Mexicans is Spanish language, Spanish, but some may also speak languages from 68 different Languages of Mexico, Indigenous linguistic groups ...
from
Tamaulipas Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...
who went to
Cusco Cusco, often spelled Cuzco (; qu, Qusqu ()), is a city in Southeastern Peru near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region and of the Cusco Province. The city is the list of cities in Peru, seventh m ...
on 16 March, on vacation could not return to Mexico until 2 April because all flights had been canceled and the borders of Peru were closed. Furthermore, thousands of American, Israeli, Australian, and British tourists trapped mostly in
Cusco Cusco, often spelled Cuzco (; qu, Qusqu ()), is a city in Southeastern Peru near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region and of the Cusco Province. The city is the list of cities in Peru, seventh m ...
and
Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...
were unable to leave the country in the 24 hours between announcement of the quarantine and cessation of all flights. On this day, the President also announced a sum of 380 soles (US$106) would be given to vulnerable families to help while most people are unable to work. The second full day of quarantine on 17 March saw citizens being required to fill out an online form to obtain permission to leave home. The military patrolled the streets of
Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...
to enforce this, and people were not allowed to walk together. At 8 pm that night through an organized effort, Peruvians and residents in Peru went out to their balconies and windows to applaud the front-line workers such as
doctors Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...
, the
Peruvian Armed Forces The Peruvian Armed Forces ( es, Fuerzas Armadas del Perú) are the military services of Peru, comprising independent Army, Navy and Air Force components. Their primary mission is to safeguard the country's independence, sovereignty and territoria ...
, market shop owners, and
National Police of Peru The Peruvian National Police ( es, Policía Nacional del Perú, PNP) is the national police force of Peru. Its jurisdiction covers the nation's land, sea, and air territories. Formed from the merge of the Investigative Police, the Civil Guard, a ...
to applaud their efforts during the pandemic. The next day on 18 March, the government tightened the measures of quarantine, implementing a curfew from 8 PM-5 AM where citizens are not allowed to leave their homes. On 19 March, the Peruvian Ministry of Health (MINSA) was briefed about the first death related to the disease, a 78-year-old man. On the same day, the death toll was updated to 3. President Vizcarra announced on 20 March that
Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental health. Coun ...
Elizabeth Hinostroza María Elizabeth Jacqueline Hinostroza Pereyra (born 8 July 1968) is a Peruvian neurosurgeon, and medical general (retired) of the National Police of Peru (PNP). She served as the country's Minister of Health from 18 November 2019 to 20 March 2020 ...
would be stepping down from her post in favor of Victor Zamora Mesia, who the President stated had more experience in the
Public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...
sector and was more experienced in the face of this pandemic. The President was also quoted as saying that if all citizens respect the quarantine and abide properly by its laws, the
state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
could be lifted at the end of the 15-day quarantine, a relief in the face of bordering countries such as Chile declaring a 90-day state of emergency. President Vizcarra also issued a decree to convert the Villa Panamericana de Lima, the residential complex used for athletes of
2019 Pan American Games The 2019 Pan American Games ( es, Juegos Panamericanos de 2019, links=no), officially the XVIII Pan American Games and commonly known as the Lima 2019 Pan-Am Games or Lima 2019 ( qu, Limaq 2019), were a multi-sport event governed by the Panam Spo ...
, into hospital facilities with 3,000 beds dedicated for coronavirus patients. The conversion and allocation of medical equipment was performed by the armed forces of Peru. President Vizcarra made a national announcement on 26 March that the quarantine would be extended by 13 days, lasting until 12 April.


April 2020

The president made a live announcement to the country on 2 April that for the remaining 10 days of quarantine, they would add one more restriction to flatten the curve. Mobilization outside of the house will be limited by days. Only men will be able to leave the house to buy groceries, medicines, or go to the bank on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday while only women were allowed outside on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. No one is allowed on Sunday. On 3 April, the government announced that all foreigners currently in Peru will automatically have their visa extended until the end of the state of emergency is over. Once the quarantine is lifted, all international tourists will have 45 days to leave the country. As of this date, the
United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other n ...
announced they had
repatriated Repatriation is the process of returning a thing or a person to its country of origin or citizenship. The term may refer to non-human entities, such as converting a foreign currency into the currency of one's own country, as well as to the pro ...
over 4,680 Americans through flights chartered from
Washington Dulles airport Washington Dulles International Airport , typically referred to as Dulles International Airport, Dulles Airport, Washington Dulles, or simply Dulles ( ), is an international airport in the Eastern United States, located in Loudoun County and Fai ...
to Lima and Cusco. President Vizcarra once again extended the quarantine by 2 weeks on 8 April, until 26 April. On this day, the Ministry of Health confirmed the first death due to coronavirus of a medical personnel working in the front lines of the pandemic. This occurred in the San Juan de Lurigancho district of Lima, and only his initials W.A.B.C. were released. Representatives and the dean from the Medical College of Peru met with the Víctor Zamorra, the Minister of Health, on 22 April proposing to extend the quarantine by at least two more weeks. There were a total of 237 doctors infected by coronavirus in the country, of whom 9 are being treated in the ICU. Of the doctors infected, 69 of them are in Lima, and 62 are in
Iquitos Iquitos (; ) is the capital city of Peru's Maynas Province and Loreto Region. It is the largest metropolis in the Peruvian Amazon, east of the Andes, as well as the ninth-most populous city of Peru. Iquitos is the largest city in the world th ...
. On 23 April, President Vizcarra announced the extension of quarantine and the state of emergency 2 more weeks until 10 May. He made reference that people's practices of social distancing, wearing masks when in public, and hesitation of gathering in large groups must be continued on for much longer even after the state of emergency ends.


May 2020

The Government of Peru published a legislative decree on 3 May stipulating the gradual re-opening of the economy in four stages. The first stage of the recovery, which will start in May, will enable certain restaurants to offer on-site pick-up and home delivery services. In addition, during the first stage, limited hotel and tourist transportation services will be allowed. The full text of the legislative decree is available in Spanish. Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra on 22 May, that Peru's state of emergency and quarantine measures would remain in effect through 11:59 pm on Tuesday, 30 June. Medical experts commented that the severity of the outbreak in Peru can be explained at least in part by economic circumstances; many residents travel daily to markets to purchase food since only 49% of households own refrigerators or freezers. By 26 May, around 85% of ICU beds with ventilators were occupied, despite strict measures like curfews and border closings. Banks experienced crowding as relief recipients without bank accounts had to go in person to get their stimulus money. It was noted that the level of infections was significant lower at high altitude, with only 1,062 cases reported in the Cuzco Region by 31 May.


June 2020

On 1 June, the economy minister announced the start of the "second phase," estimating the benefit of some 1.5 million workers and the reactivation of 84% of the Peruvian economy's production. This second phase is officially approved on 4 June by Supreme Decree No. 101-2020-PCM, this phase empowers the Ministry of Production (Produce) to order the start of activities of the productive and commercial conglomerates, prior coordination with local governments and the Interior, Defense and Health sectors. However, this phase would not be applied in the departments of Tumbes, Piura, Lambayeque, La Libertad, Loreto, Ucayali, Ica and the department of Áncash in its provinces Santa, Huarmey and Casma. On that same day, the Minister of Economy María Antonieta Alva announced that the government is preparing public spending programs that generate employment and that it is part of the economic reactivation, including the priority of restarting technical assistance activities for the execution of the public works with some public spending programs.


July 2020

On 1 July, the government begins the "third phase" by means of Supreme Decree No. 117-2020-PCM, this phase contemplates the reopening of some 60 commercial activities that must follow the "Guidelines for the surveillance of the Health of the workers at risk of exposure to COVID-19" and the protocols of their sector, the regions that will still be excluded from the restart of activities and which will continue with the targeted quarantine are: Arequipa, Ica, Junín, Huánuco, San Martín, Madre de Dios and Ancash. The government extended the quarantine on 31 July until 31 August, and added the provinces of Tambopata (in the department of Madre de Dios); Santa, Casma and Huaraz (from the department of Ancash); the provinces of Mariscal Nieto and Ilo (in the department of Moquegua); province of Tacna (from the department of Tacna); the provinces of Cusco and La Convencion (in the department of Cusco); the provinces of San Román and Puno (in the department of Puno); the province of Huancavelica (in the department of Huancavelica); the provinces of Cajamarca, Jaén and San Ignacio (of the department of Cajamarca); the provinces of Bagua, Condorcanqui and Utcubamba (in the department of Amazonas); and the provinces of Abancay and Andahuaylas (in the department of Apurímac).


August 2020

Peru's health ministry announced on 13 August that Peru had surpassed 500,000 confirmed cases, noting that 507,996 cases and 25,648 deaths were recorded. On 22 August, at least thirteen people were killed during the Los Olivos stampede in the
Los Olivos District Los Olivos is a district of the Lima Province in Peru. Is a District of the Cono Norte area in the city of Lima. History In the Viceroyalty and early years of the republic, it was part of the great territory of Carabayllo. In the mid-16th ce ...
of Cono Norte. Quarantine Areas (as of 28 August 2020): Amazonas (Bagua, Chachapoyas, Condorcanqui, and Utcubamba); Ancash (Santa, Casma, and Huarmey); Apurimac (Abancay); Arequipa (Cailloma, Camaná, Castilla, Islay); Ayacucho (Huamanga,Huanta, Lucanas, and Parinacochas); Cajamarca (Cajamarca and Jaen); Cusco (entire region); Huancavelica (Huancavelica, Angaraes, and Tayacaja); Huánuco (Huánuco, Leoncio Prado, Puerto Inca, and Humalíes); Ica (Ica, Pisco, Nasca, and Palpa); Junin (Huancayo, Satipo, and Chanchamayo); La Libertad (Trujillo, Virú, Sánchez Carrión, Pacasmayo, Chepén, and Ascope); Lima (Barranca, Cañete, Huaura, and Huaral); Madre de Dios (Tambopata); Moquegua (entire region); Pasco (Pasco and Oxapampa); Puno (entire region); and Tacna (entire region). National Health Measures Extended for 90 Days: On 28 August, Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra signed a supreme decree extending Peru's Health State of Emergency for 90 days beginning Tuesday, 8 September. Social distancing and the use of facemasks will be required for the foreseeable future. Peru's Ministry of Health (MINSA), the National Institute of Health, and the EsSalud Social Health Insurance agency are continuing to develop and implement an action plan for the surveillance, containment, and care of new COVID-19 cases in Peru. Peru's government will continue to procure the necessary good and services needed to combat the spread of COVID-19.


December 2020

On 22 December, Peru reached 1 million confirmed
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
cases.


2021

Health Minister
Pilar Mazzetti Pilar Elena Mazzetti Soler (born 9 September 1956) is a Peruvian physician and health administrator who served as Minister of Health from July 2020 to February 2021, excluding her for nine days from office during the brief presidency of Manuel Me ...
reported a shortage of 110 tons of oxygen daily. The country has the capacity to produce 400 tons, but 510 tons are needed. The quarantine was extended through 28 February. Application of the Sinopharm BIBP vaccine began on 9 February. Health Minister Pilar Mazzetti and Foreign Minister
Elizabeth Astete Esther Elizabeth Astete Rodríguez is a Peruvian politician who served as the country's Foreign Minister from 18 November 2020 to 14 February 2021. Education Astete Rodríguez has a degree in International Relations. Career Astete Rodríguez ha ...
resigned in February after it was shown that political favoritism played a role in application of
COVID-19 vaccine A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19). Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, an e ...
s. In June 2021, the Peruvian government reviewed the number of COVID-19 deaths, increasing the official death toll from 69,000 to 187,847 deaths. The new figure placed Perú with the highest death rate per capita in the world, according to the
Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...
.


2022

On 4 January 2022, MINSA announced that Peru was experiencing a third wave of infections as a result of the now dominant
Omicron variant Omicron (B.1.1.529) is a variant of SARS-CoV-2 first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa on 24 November 2021. It was first detected in Botswana and has spread to become the ...
, explaining that national COVID-19 rates increased 50% from the previous two weeks while cases in metro Lima doubled, with 59% of positive cases being the Omicron strain in Lima.


Response


Government


Curfew

The government tightened the measures of quarantine on 18 March, implementing a curfew from 8 pm to 5 am where citizens were not allowed to leave their homes. A man who was seen taking out the trash that night was cornered by a dozen police cars and motorcycles, and arrested. Another 153 people in the provinces of
Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...
and
Callao Callao () is a Peruvian seaside city and Regions of Peru, region on the Pacific Ocean in the Lima metropolitan area. Callao is Peru's chief seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport. Callao municipality consists o ...
were detained that night for violating curfew. On 30 March, the President made further restrictions to the curfew (which was previously 8 pm to 5 am nationwide), extending its start from 4 pm for departments of La Libertad, Loreto,
Piura Piura is a city in northwestern Peru located in the Sechura Desert on the Piura River. It is the capital of the Piura Region and the Piura Province. Its population was 484,475 as of 2017. It was here that Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro fou ...
, and Tumbes, and a start of 6 pm for the rest of the country to further limit movement. As a response,
grocery store A grocery store ( AE), grocery shop ( BE) or simply grocery is a store that primarily retails a general range of food products, which may be fresh or packaged. In everyday U.S. usage, however, "grocery store" is a synonym for supermarket, a ...
s which were open until 4 pm before now close at 3 pm. As of this date, there were 950 positive tests, 24 deaths, 49 patients in the ICU, and 37 on
mechanical ventilation Mechanical ventilation, assisted ventilation or intermittent mandatory ventilation (IMV), is the medical term for using a machine called a ventilator to fully or partially provide artificial ventilation. Mechanical ventilation helps move air ...
. The president made a live announcement to the country on 2 April that for the remaining 10 days of quarantine, they would add one more restriction to flatten the curve. Mobilization outside of the house will be limited by days. Only men will be able to leave the house to buy groceries, medicines, or go to the bank on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Only women were allowed outside on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. No one is allowed on Sunday. These restrictions are to allow easy identification by police and military (rather than others that require more precise identification, such as even and odd numbers of each person's DNI number), and to reduce circulation by 50%. On 10 April, President Vizcarra reversed the previously proposed gender rotation, and reinstated that only one member of a household can leave the home per week, from Monday through Saturday. This was partly attributed to days that women were permitted to leave culminated in long lines and crowded supermarkets, causing a difficulty in maintaining social distancing guidelines. President Vizcarra announced on 8 May the decision to extend the State of Emergency until Sunday 24 May. It was indicated, between the National Police and the Armed Forces, there will be 150,000 troops on the streets, enforcing the measures ordered. The Head of State reported that, as of Monday, 11 May, the immobilization mandatory social will be from 8 at night. This will allow attention in banks and markets is extended, which will reduce concentrations of people. The modification in the schedule will not apply to the Loreto, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Tumbes and Piura, where the restriction will continue to be implemented from 4 in the afternoon. Starting Monday, the 18th of this month, children up to the age of 14 will be allowed – accompanied by an adult – to go out for 30 minutes as exercise up to no more than 500 meters from their homes.


Mask mandate

On 11 May, there was a national mandate requiring the use of masks and gloves inside of supermarkets. The use of masks had been compulsory since the beginning of the country's lockdown on 17 March, and the mandatory use of gloves had been implemented by independent districts and markets over the past week. Later during the day, however, the Minister of Health Víctor Zamorra announced that the national mandate of the use of gloves will be in revision, and in the afternoon announced that it will no longer be compulsory, citing it as an administrative error.


Medicine


Vaccine development

On 4 April 2020, the Ministry of Health announced that the National Institute of Health (INS) succeeded in sequencing the complete genome of COVID-19, determining that the virus arrived in the country from Europe and revealing three vectors (variants) of the same virus. Likewise, the INS shared this genetic information in the ''Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data'' (
GISAID GISAID (Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data) is a global science initiative and primary source established in 2008 that provides open access to genomic data of influenza viruses and the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pand ...
) International Database, to deepen the investigations. On 7 April, Peru joins in an international race to develop a vaccine against COVID-19, with the pharmaceutical company Farvet and the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH) being the first (known to date) to develop jointly a vaccine in Chincha using the same equipment as Germany. According to Manolo Fernández, the executive director of the Farvet company, the applied method is the same one that was successfully developed in other types of coronaviruses that cause pneumonia in birds by synthesizing and producing a protein called ''Spike S1'' which prevents the virus from attaching itself to the cell and replicating itself. Mirko Zimic, head of the UPCH Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology Laboratory, indicated that the Peruvian strain is very identical to the one isolated in Spain and whose greatest obstacle is the production of the protein in large quantities. Likewise, the National Council for Science, Technology and Technological Innovation (Concytec) published a contest for special response projects against COVID-19, receiving some 600 proposals that compete to receive 5 million soles (1.5 million dollars) for the financing of the projects. On 17 May, Farvet and UPCH scientists announced a 95% advance in effectiveness, considering the possibility of becoming an important contribution of Peru to the world. On 5 June, the Experimental Station for Scientific Research and Genetic Improvement of Alpacas belonging to the Inca Group, selected four alpacas for the development of a new vaccine that it has been developing in conjunction with Farvet and UPCH. They also indicate that those alpacas have the ability to generate some types of antibodies known as "nanobodies", which are very tiny and have a greater potential against pathogens. According to Andina, research from the United States, Belgium, and Chile antibodies from ''lama'' and ''
vicugna ' is a genus containing four South American camelids, the wild guanaco and vicuña, and the domesticated llama and alpaca. Before the Spanish conquest of the Americas, llamas and alpacas were the only domesticated ungulates of the continent. ...
'' animals could possibly be formulated into inhaler or injection treatments those infected with coronaviruses, with Teodosio Huanca of Peru's National Institute of Agricultural Innovation (INIA) National Camelid Program stating that Peruvian
camelidae Camelids are members of the biological family Camelidae, the only currently living family in the suborder Tylopoda. The seven extant members of this group are: dromedary camels, Bactrian camels, wild Bactrian camels, llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, ...
share the same genetic roots and antibodies. On 7 August, the INS announced that it would begin the development of a possible treatment for COVID-19 using "recombinant nano-antibodies" from a llama named "Tito". According to the INIA, Peru holds "the only
germplasm Germplasm are living genetic resources such as seeds or tissues that are maintained for the purpose of animal and plant breeding, preservation, and other research uses. These resources may take the form of seed collections stored in seed banks, tr ...
bank of South American camelids in the world, with 1,700 samples of alpacas and 1,200 of llamas".


Available vaccines

Vaccines available in Peru are Sinopharm BIBP, Pfizer–BioNTech, and Oxford–AstraZeneca (provided by the international Covax facility). Janssen COVID-19,
Sputnik V Sputnik V (russian: Спутник V, the brand name from RDIF) or Gam-COVID-Vac (russian: Гам-КОВИД-Вак, the name under which it is legally registered and produced) is an adenovirus viral vector vaccine for COVID-19 developed by t ...
and
Moderna Moderna, Inc. ( ) is an American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts that focuses on RNA therapeutics, primarily mRNA vaccines. These vaccines use a copy of a molecule called messenger RNA (mRNA) to produ ...
vaccines have also been approved, but not deployed.


Effects

The COVID-19 pandemic in Peru exposed the weaknesses of the country's neoliberal framework. Due to the crises occurring shortly before and throughout the pandemic, the economic and political structure of Peru changed dramatically.


Economy

Between ten and twenty percent of Peruvians entered into poverty in 2020, reversing a decade of poverty reduction in the country. According to the Institute of Economics and Business Development (IEDEP) of the Lima Chamber of Commerce, the country's middle class shrank by almost half from 43.6% in 2019 to 24% in 2020 due to the crisis, reversing a decade of economic progress. The
European Investment Bank The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the European Union's investment bank and is owned by the EU Member States. It is one of the largest supranational lenders in the world. The EIB finances and invests both through equity and debt solutions ...
is collaborating with Peru's development bank COFIDE to assist small businesses affected by the virus outbreak's economic implications. 30% of a $100 million loan to COFIDE is dedicated to businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.


Governance

Although economic statistics show improved economic data in Peru in recent decades, the wealth earned between 1990 and 2020 was not distributed throughout the country; living standards showed disparities between the more-developed capital city of Lima and similar coastal regions while rural provinces remained impoverished. The COVID-19 pandemic exasperated these disparities even further. Political scientist professor Farid Kahhat of the
Pontifical Catholic University of Peru Pontifical Catholic University of Peru ( es, link=no, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, PUCP) is a private university in Lima, Peru. It was founded in 1917 with the support and approval of the Catholic Church, being the oldest private ...
stated that "market reforms in Peru have yielded positive results in terms of reducing poverty ... But what the pandemic has laid bare, particularly in Peru, is that poverty was reduced while leaving the miserable state of public services unalteredmost clearly in the case of health services." With the
2021 Peruvian general election General elections were held in Peru on 11 April 2021. The presidential election, which determined the President of Peru, president and the Vice President of Peru, vice presidents, required a run-off between the two top candidates, which was held ...
, many of Peru's politicians were out of touch with the citizens, more concentrated on maintaining their power while ignoring projects to provide social support. Such disparities exposed by the pandemic elevated the popularity of
Pedro Castillo José Pedro Castillo Terrones (; born 19 October 1969) is a Peruvian politician, former elementary school teacher, and union leader who served as the president of Peru, President of Peru from 28 July 2021 to 7 December 2022. On 7 December 2022, ...
during the
2021 Peruvian general election General elections were held in Peru on 11 April 2021. The presidential election, which determined the President of Peru, president and the Vice President of Peru, vice presidents, required a run-off between the two top candidates, which was held ...
, assisting with his election into the
Presidency of Peru The president of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente del Perú), officially called the president of the Republic of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente de la República del Perú), is the head of state and head of government of Peru. The president is th ...
.


Social

With Peru experiencing the highest COVID-19 pandemic death rate in the world, nearly 100,000 children were left orphaned as a result of the pandemic in one year. In a study published in July 2021 in ''
The Lancet ''The Lancet'' is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal and one of the oldest of its kind. It is also the world's highest-impact academic journal. It was founded in England in 1823. The journal publishes original research articles, ...
'', of twenty-one countries involved, Peru experienced the highest rate of primary or secondary caregiver deaths; 14.1 per 1,000 children in Peru were affected. Orphaned children in Peru are at increased risk of abuse; girls may be used for sexual exploitation, while some boys are forced to work in illegal mining. According to the Peruvian Ministry of Health, lockdowns increased domestic violence in Peru. Lockdowns also increased depression and anxiety among children.


Statistics


See also

* COVID-19 pandemic by country * COVID-19 pandemic death rates by country * COVID-19 pandemic in South America *
Vacunagate Vacunagate (from ''vacuna'' (the Spanish word for "vaccine") and the suffix -gate; translatable into English as ''Vaccinegate'') is the term used by the media to refer to the scandal that occurred in Peru over the irregular vaccinations of 487 ...


Notes


References

{{Portal bar, COVID-19, Peru, Medicine, Viruses Coronavirus pandemic Coronavirus pandemic
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...
P
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...
Disease outbreaks in Peru