The dean of the Medical College of Peru (CMP), Dr. Raúl Urquizo, said that the institution he chairs had a meeting with the Ministry of Health (Minsa) in which they proposed a plan pilot for a possible gradual withdrawal from the use of masks in open spaces.
Raúl Urquizo indicated that they proposed that the removal of masks take place in places that meet the following three conditions:
- That the population has 80% vaccinated with 2 doses.
- That 65% of the population have the third dose or booster dose.
- To ensure greater control of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19
Along these lines, the president of the CMP warned that only in some parts of the country, such as in Metropolitan Lima and Provinces, Áncash, Callao and Ica, has 80% of vaccination been reached. In other places, 80% is not yet reached and even in some areas such as Puno and Madre de Dios it is still not up to 65%.
“The minister came to the CMP with his technical team and gave us information on the state of the pandemic: the use of vaccines, etc. One of the issues was the mask: it has been shown that in some departments more than 80% of immunized people have been immunized. So we are talking about second and third doses in 50% in some places,” he said in an interview with RPP.
“In open places where it is 80% (vaccination), it could be what they recommend (removal of the mask) gradually, but with stricter control. We have proposed that it be a pilot so that we do not have problems: what happens if in regions where 80% is not reached there is a regrowth? Is there a response from the health service?” , he added.
USE OF A MASK IN EVALUATION
On Monday, the executive director of Public Health Surveillance (CDC), César Munayco, reported that the Ministry of Health (Minsa) will this week issue a proposal on the removal of masks in open places, which would be linked to increased coverage of vaccination against COVID-19.
“The removal of the mask in open places is already being discussed in the Ministry of Health. This week the proposal should come out, but it must be linked, according to scientific evidence, to vaccination coverage, mainly with high-risk groups,” said in the CDC Peru weekly report.
In addition, he said that the reduction in cases of infections and deaths has been sustained in recent weeks, but that does not mean that the pandemic has ended in Peru. On the contrary, he noted that vaccination coverage needs to be increased.
“We have very low levels of cases, but we need to improve coverage with third doses, as well as coverage in children aged 5 to 11 and the young population,” he said.
“Young people are less at risk of getting complicated, but getting infected with COVID-19 is like a lottery: you don't know how you're going to respond, so it's better to have a third dose,” he added.
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