COVID-19 pandemic in Paraguay


The COVID-19 pandemic in Paraguay is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to Paraguay on 7 March 2020 in a 32-year-old man from Guayaquil, Ecuador, living in San Lorenzo, Central department.
On 10 March 2020, the Paraguayan government suspended classes and all activities that involve groups of people, as well as public and private events, with the goal of avoiding the spread of the virus, in accordance with Decree no. 3442/2020. Other preventive measures have been adopted as time has gone by, such as restrictions on commerce and movement, suspends flights, closure of borders, restricting entry of foreigners, curfews, and strengthening controls to ensure compliance with the measures.
On 20 March 2020, the first death and the first case of community transmission were confirmed. The government declared a total quarantine until 3 May, with free movement restricted completely. Public movement was restricted to buying food, medicine and other essential items.
Paraguay has implement from May 4 the so-called “Intelligent/Smart” Quarantine, gradual return to work and social activities with social distancing and hygiene measures. However, the government decided to maintain the closure of borders, implement distance education classes, and the night-time curfew indefinitely.

Background

On 12 January, the World Health Organization confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.
Unlike SARS of 2003, the case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower, but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.

Timeline

First measures

On 10 March 2020, the Paraguayan government suspended classes and all activities that involve groups of people, as well as public and private events, with the goal of avoiding the spread of the virus, in accordance with Decree no. 3442/2020.
Other preventive measures have been adopted as time has gone by, such as restrictions on commerce and movement, suspends flights, closure of borders, restricting entry of foreigners, curfews, and strengthening controls to ensure compliance with the measures.

Lockdown

On 20 March 2020, the first death and the first case of community transmission were confirmed. The government declared a total quarantine until 3 May, with free movement restricted completely. Public movement was restricted to buying food, medicine and other essential items.
The city of San Roque González de Santacruz returned to lockdown on June 9 through June 24, due to the uncontrolled increase in the number of contaminations.
Due to the increase in cases, the department of Alto Paraná returned to lockdown on July 29 for two weeks, with some authorizations of Phase 1 and commerce enabled between 5:00am to 5:00pm.

Easing of restrictions: de-escalation

Paraguay has implement from May 4 the so-called “Intelligent/Smart” Quarantine, gradual return to work and social activities with social distancing and hygiene measures in 4 phases. However, The government decided to maintain the closure of borders, implement distance education classes, and the night-time curfew indefinitely.
In Phase 1 and 2, the ban on all non-essential movement was in place from 9pm to 5am. In Phase 3 and 4, the ban on all non-essential movement is in place from 11pm to 5am and from 12am to 5am.


Department/CityPhase
Rest of Paraguay4
Asunción, and Central department3
Alto Paraná department0

Shelters

Since end of March 2020, the government has adapted existing infrastructure of military bases, warehouses, police stations, and even indoor sports complexes called "shelters" to accommodate large groups of individuals -who return from abroad - including pregnant women, underage children, and the elderly. The government, however, has been unable to quickly accommodate the hundreds of migrants arriving at its borders.
Returnees undergo a mandatory minimum quarantine of 14 days, which can be extended if required. Likewise, they have the alternative of quarantining in certain hotels or lodgings in the event that they can afford it. From April to much of June, the majority of confirmed cases came from shelters, however at the end of the same month the panorama changed, with community cases prevailing over those detected in shelters.
The advisory minister for International Affairs of the Presidency of the Republic, reported that by the end of June more than 8,000 returnees had already passed through shelters.  According to the Inter-institutional Coordination Center, by then, about 70 shelters and 40 'Salud' hotels were located in different parts of the country.
Most of these facilities do not comply with the MSPBS's public health protocols of ensuring social distancing and access to medical attention. Groups of up to 160 people are housed in rooms of closely placed bunk beds, and shared spaces do not allow for adequate physical distance.

Impacts

Economy

Paraguay's economy will contract 2.5% until 5% in 2020 due to the halt in economic activities brought on by social isolation measures to contain the coronavirus. The projection is a stark turnaround from the Central Bank of Paraguay in December 2019 estimate of 4.1% growth in the year. The bank's new estimate also goes further than the International Monetary Fund, which projected in mid-April a contraction of 1.0%.
But the government of President Mario Abdo Benítez has been heavily criticised for failing to support people left without income during the total quarantine. Sixty-five per cent of Paraguay's workers earn their living in the informal economy and have no access to benefits during the coronavirus crisis.

Event cancellations

As social distancing entered the public lexicon, emergency management leaders encouraged the cancellation of large gatherings to slow the rate of infection, these are a few cancelled or postponed events:
EventOriginal DateVenueStatusRef.
Chayanne concertMarch 14, 2020SND ArenaPostponed
Karol G concertMarch 14, 2020Jockey ClubPostponed
Soda Stereo concertMarch 18, 2020Jockey ClubPostponed
AsunciónicoMarch 31 and April 7, 2020Jockey ClubPostponed to late 2020
Kiss concertMay 7, 2020Jockey ClubPostponed

Statistics

The tables and graphs show the development of the pandemic starting from 7 March 2020.

Table

Chart




By department

By age

Other datas

this information is per: