Bolivia in Corona Virus Times I
Bolivia Today ©
Bolivia currently finds itself in full coronavirus mode. The government has instituted, what may be considered, harsh measures to restrict the mobility and contact of its citizens and therefore break the chain of infection. Citizens who violate such restrictions can be fined as well as been sentenced to 2 to 3 years in prison. The latter is in fact already happened. But, more on that later. After all, if covid-19 breaks out, the country will not be in conditions to deal with the consequences. The country's health system is just not prepared for such dynamics. The country knows that and the government knows that. In any case, the majority of the population seems to be following the new rules, but a significant part seems to prefer to ignore them or it has to ignore them because of necessity.
Chronology of the case
March 10, 2020
The government reports the first positive and confirmed covid-19 cases, one in San Carlos, Santa Cruz and the other in the city of Oruro. The two female patients returned from Italy.
March 11, 2020
A third case is confirmed in Santa Cruz, this time, a young man returning from Miami, USA.
Oruro closes its schools as a result of the first case there.
One of the female patients in Santa Cruz is prevented to enter a hospital to receive treatment. The ambulance in which she was transported was blocked the entrance in five hospitals and clinics, mostly by people, and at times by personnel. She is finally taken to a government building.
March 13, 2020
The infection cases rise to 10, most of them in Oruro. The authorities there declare a major alert.
March 16, 2020
As more cases are reported in Oruro, the authorities declare a total quarantine, and the department shuts down completely.
The national government takes the first measures, instituting continuous office hours (8 to 15 hours) and prohibiting groups of 100 people or more.
March 17, 2020
The national government imposes general quarantine, reduces office hours to 13 hours, home confinements from 17 to 5 hours, and introduces sanctions and fines for those who do not obey the new restrictions.
March 18, 2020
The national government announces economic measures. It introduces the family bonus (Bs 500 per dependent in a state school), stops payments on loans for two months for families and small enterprises, and prohibits the cut off of essential utility services for those who cannot make payments.
March 19, 2020
The government closed all borders, preventing people from entering or leaving the country.
March 20, 2020
The government stops all international and national flights, as well as interdepartmental bus travel. Only goods are allowed to be transported.
March 21, 2020
The national government introduces a total quarantine for 14 days.
March 29, 2020
The country confirms its first three covid-19-related deaths, in Santa Cruz and La Paz (Patacamaya).
March 30, 2020
The country reports 107 confirmed cases and 6 deaths, Santa Cruz is the department with the most cases (59).
April 3, 2020
The government introduced the family basket bonus (Bs 400).
April 4, 2020
480 Bolivians who cannot enter the country due to border closings are taken to a quarantine camp in Pisiga, near the border with Chile.
April 7, 2020
Bolivia reports 210 confirmed cases, 103 in Santa Cruz, 39 in La Paz, and 38 in Cochabamba, 15 deaths.
April 8, 2020
Health Minister, Anibal Cruz, steps down and a new minister is appointed, Marcelo Navajas.
April 9, 2020
After 20 positive cases and one death, the medium-sized city of Montero in Santa Cruz isolates itself in a total quarantine. The military controls that no one leaves their homes.
April 14, 2020
The government extends the quarantine for the country until the 30th. It also introduces more measures, among them the universal bonus and accessible credit for companies to pay salaries.
Contextual issues
Bolivia has been receiving international help from diverse sources, the IMF, BID, EU countries, and the US. This help has come in various ways, but most of all in economic and medical supplies.
The country is finding it increasingly difficult to deal with the economic consequences of the pandemic. One issue worrying the economics ministry is the negative developments in the price of oil and natural gas. As you know, the Bolivian economy is still much dependant on these prices.
The government has made consequent efforts to re-establish a working relationship with the US. After a long hiatus in US-Bolivian relationships under Morales, the US has also started to take some first steps. The result has been some help for Bolivia.
The government has also made efforts to re-establish its tarnished relationship with the Spanish government. These went sour after the Spanish government attempted to smuggle former Government Minister Rada from the Mexican Embassy, where he still remains.
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| Source: Bolivia Segura.gob.bo |
Bolivia currently finds itself in full coronavirus mode. The government has instituted, what may be considered, harsh measures to restrict the mobility and contact of its citizens and therefore break the chain of infection. Citizens who violate such restrictions can be fined as well as been sentenced to 2 to 3 years in prison. The latter is in fact already happened. But, more on that later. After all, if covid-19 breaks out, the country will not be in conditions to deal with the consequences. The country's health system is just not prepared for such dynamics. The country knows that and the government knows that. In any case, the majority of the population seems to be following the new rules, but a significant part seems to prefer to ignore them or it has to ignore them because of necessity.
Chronology of the case
March 10, 2020
The government reports the first positive and confirmed covid-19 cases, one in San Carlos, Santa Cruz and the other in the city of Oruro. The two female patients returned from Italy.
March 11, 2020
A third case is confirmed in Santa Cruz, this time, a young man returning from Miami, USA.
Oruro closes its schools as a result of the first case there.
One of the female patients in Santa Cruz is prevented to enter a hospital to receive treatment. The ambulance in which she was transported was blocked the entrance in five hospitals and clinics, mostly by people, and at times by personnel. She is finally taken to a government building.
March 13, 2020
The infection cases rise to 10, most of them in Oruro. The authorities there declare a major alert.
March 16, 2020
As more cases are reported in Oruro, the authorities declare a total quarantine, and the department shuts down completely.
The national government takes the first measures, instituting continuous office hours (8 to 15 hours) and prohibiting groups of 100 people or more.
March 17, 2020
The national government imposes general quarantine, reduces office hours to 13 hours, home confinements from 17 to 5 hours, and introduces sanctions and fines for those who do not obey the new restrictions.
March 18, 2020
The national government announces economic measures. It introduces the family bonus (Bs 500 per dependent in a state school), stops payments on loans for two months for families and small enterprises, and prohibits the cut off of essential utility services for those who cannot make payments.
March 19, 2020
The government closed all borders, preventing people from entering or leaving the country.
March 20, 2020
The government stops all international and national flights, as well as interdepartmental bus travel. Only goods are allowed to be transported.
March 21, 2020
The national government introduces a total quarantine for 14 days.
March 29, 2020
The country confirms its first three covid-19-related deaths, in Santa Cruz and La Paz (Patacamaya).
March 30, 2020
The country reports 107 confirmed cases and 6 deaths, Santa Cruz is the department with the most cases (59).
April 3, 2020
The government introduced the family basket bonus (Bs 400).
April 4, 2020
480 Bolivians who cannot enter the country due to border closings are taken to a quarantine camp in Pisiga, near the border with Chile.
April 7, 2020
Bolivia reports 210 confirmed cases, 103 in Santa Cruz, 39 in La Paz, and 38 in Cochabamba, 15 deaths.
April 8, 2020
Health Minister, Anibal Cruz, steps down and a new minister is appointed, Marcelo Navajas.
April 9, 2020
After 20 positive cases and one death, the medium-sized city of Montero in Santa Cruz isolates itself in a total quarantine. The military controls that no one leaves their homes.
April 14, 2020
The government extends the quarantine for the country until the 30th. It also introduces more measures, among them the universal bonus and accessible credit for companies to pay salaries.
Contextual issues
Bolivia has been receiving international help from diverse sources, the IMF, BID, EU countries, and the US. This help has come in various ways, but most of all in economic and medical supplies.
The country is finding it increasingly difficult to deal with the economic consequences of the pandemic. One issue worrying the economics ministry is the negative developments in the price of oil and natural gas. As you know, the Bolivian economy is still much dependant on these prices.
The government has made consequent efforts to re-establish a working relationship with the US. After a long hiatus in US-Bolivian relationships under Morales, the US has also started to take some first steps. The result has been some help for Bolivia.
The government has also made efforts to re-establish its tarnished relationship with the Spanish government. These went sour after the Spanish government attempted to smuggle former Government Minister Rada from the Mexican Embassy, where he still remains.
