Corona virus in Peru?

The South American country of Peru is now the sixth most infected country in the world, despite severe crackdowns following signs of a corona outbreak. Peruvian President Martin Vizcara has claimed that the situation is not as dire as previously thought. But why is Peru so affected by the corona virus? Here are some of the reasons.

Border closure and curfew Some European countries, including the United Kingdom, were open when Peru began to lock down on March 16. Peru had closed the border and imposed curfew. Despite this, the number of infected and dead people continued to rise. The month-long Peruvian lockdown has set a record for the longest lockdown in the world. Although the death toll from the crackdown has been high, the number of those infected has been steadily declining. According to official figures, more than 8,500 people have died of the corona virus in Peru so far. In addition, the death toll in Peru is much higher than the average in previous years. The death toll in Peru has risen to 87 percent more than normal during the lockdown.

Why is woodworking in Peru ineffective? Peru is the second most infected country in Europe after being tested at a rate of six per 1,000. This test rate is higher than some other Latin American countries. But it is much lower than in Italy. In Italy, 80 out of 1,000 people have been tested.

Experts say Peru's healthcare system is very good. But for some social and economic reasons, Peru is struggling to control covid. Some of which are mentioned here -

1. The market

 A government survey in 2020 found that more than 40 percent of Peruvian households do not have a refrigerator to store food for long periods of time. This also forces them to keep coming to the market, says Hugo Nopo, a Peruvian economist. Peruvian President Vizcara also says the market is the main source of infection. He estimates that 40 to 80 percent of sellers in the Peruvian market are infected with corona.

Experts say the government has decided to allow the market to open only for a limited time. The government has started the work of organizing the market slowly saying that the transition from the market has increased. That's why it's too late to work, experts say. 

 2. Informal economy

 More than 70 percent of Peru's total employment is in the informal sector. This rate is the highest in Latin America. 

From the nature of Nihu's work, it can be inferred that it is very difficult to maintain physical distance there. ‘People who go to work use public transport and go to buy goods in very crowded areas,’ Nopo said.

3. Bank

According to President Vizcara, another source of corona virus infection is the bank. He says that going to help people is another problem. "It would have been much easier if everyone had a bank account," he said. Peru plans to distribute relief equivalent to 12 percent of its GDP. This relief program was brought for the people who have lost their jobs and income. The government's action was praised.

But only 38 percent of Peruvians had a bank account. Due to which digital payments became almost impossible. Many unemployed people went to open bank accounts to seek government relief. At the same time, the bank was overcrowded. Due to which the risk of corona virus increased. At present, the government is trying to control the congestion in the banks by extending the banking hours.

4. Physical distance 

 According to a recent survey, 11.8 percent of Peru's poor households live in overcrowded areas. Some officials have said that the rules of physical distance in public places are rarely followed. Meanwhile, Peru's economy is reopening. Experts say that in such cases, it is important to make people aware of how to maintain physical distance, how to improve the market, transportation and other systems.