The Chilean Minister of Health resigned on Saturday June 13 after a week of controversy over the rise in cases of new coronavirus and the counting methodology, while the Covid-19 epidemic is in full progress despite the confinement imposed on the inhabitants of Santiago for a month. 

"I thank Jaime Manalich for his commitment," said President Sebastian Pinera.

On Saturday, the Center for Journalistic Investigation (Ciper) revealed that the Ministry of Health had sent the World Health Organization (WHO) more Covid-19 deaths than the last official bulletin. 

Chile totaled 167,355 infections and 3,101 deaths on Saturday since the appearance of the first case on March 3. However, the figures transmitted to WHO show more than 5,000 deaths linked to Covid-19.

Variable confinements at first

Undersecretary of State for Health, Paula Daza, recognized these figures and explained that the difference was linked to differences in methodology: the weekly report to the WHO includes confirmed deaths linked to Covid-19 as well as the cases suspects, while the daily government report takes into account only cases confirmed by a PCR test, from a deep sample in the nose with a swab.

Chile was one of the first countries in Latin America to declare a preventive health emergency on February 7. A few weeks later, he closed his borders, suspended classes, declared a curfew and implemented a policy of mass screening.  

But unlike other Latin American countries, the country has opted for modular confinements according to the outbreaks and not for general confinement.

However, if these selective quarantines have given good results in affluent neighborhoods, they have proved much less effective in poor neighborhoods. 

A significant increase in contamination

While aid promised by the government has been slow to arrive or deemed insufficient, many residents have continued to go to work until mid-May. The explosion of contaminations then forced the authorities to decree containment for the seven million inhabitants of the capital, for a month. 

Chile recorded its worst daily figures for the epidemic on Friday, with 222 deaths and 6,754 new infections in the past 24 hours.

"The situation in our country continues to worsen, especially in the region" of Santiago, said Arturo Zuniga, an official with the Ministry of Health, on Friday. 

The health crisis reached Chile while the country had been shaken for months by a social revolt. The mobilisations, often violent, sought to denounce economic inequalities and the disconnection of the political elite from the daily reality of many Chileans.

With AFP

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