Public Activities Persist in Nicaragua Despite the Pandemic

The Government says it planned 1,500 activities nationwide over the weekend to “distract” Nicaraguans

By EFE (Confidencial)

HAVANA TIMES – Activities that foster crowds, and that are promoted by the Nicaraguan Government, persisted over the weekend in different cities of the country, despite criticism of the risk they represent in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Motorcycle races, group walks, food fairs, sport competitions, in-person trainings, trips to public beaches, popular celebrations, house-to-house visits, among other activities, took place this weekend in different parts of Nicaragua, despite the fact that the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended social distancing.

Baseball, boxing, volleyball, or video game tournaments, as well as street parades and handicraft classes, as well as religious activities and patron saint festivities without the authorization of the Catholic Church, were part of the agglomeration activities carried out in Nicaragua in the last two days.

Before the weekend, the wife of Daniel Ortega, Vice President Rosario Murillo, had announced that about 1,500 activities would be promoted between Saturday and Sunday all over the country, to the amusement of Nicaraguans.

So far, the Nicaraguan Government has only recognized 13 confirmed cases of Covid-19, including three deceased persons, all “imported” (cases), without making any reference to suspected cases, which has served to refuse to establish restrictions or social preventive measures against the coronavirus-SARS-coV-2.

Discrepancy in data

The official data contrasts with that of the independent “Observatorio Ciudadano” (Citizen Observatory), which in its latest report, issued last Friday, reported 316 suspected cases, since it is impossible to know if they are confirmed, since the Government has a monopoly on testing to determine if anyone has the disease.

The Multidisciplinary Scientific Committee, made up of independent experts who are studying the pandemic in Nicaragua, have warned that the data on Covid-19 provided by the Government may not be real, since it is impossible for the new coronavirus to behave in the country in a way different from the rest of the world.

Scientists believe that it is highly likely that Covid-19 is already widespread in Nicaragua, despite the Ortega government refusal to acknowledge it.

International organization such as the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), the Organization of American States (OAS), the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR), and the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR), have expressed their concern of the handling of the pandemic in Nicaragua.