Chile registers record of isolated people in sanitary residences

---

The Ministry of Health announced that the highest number of isolated people in health residences had been registered since the start of the pandemic last March. According to the daily balance of the health authority, 7,915 people are making use of the 158 devices enabled for people with Covid-19 or suspected of having the disease who cannot quarantine at home.

It was also reported that there are 11,534 spots available throughout the country. The regions with the highest number of guests are Tarapacá , with 1,935 people; the Metropolitan , with 1,210; and the Biobío , with 874.

According to data from the Minsal, to date the total number of people staying so far in January is 25,129 people, of which 13,923 are men and 11,206 women. With healthcare residences, Chile aspires to achieve greater containment of people at risk, carriers of the coronavirus or at risk of having it, and ensure that they carry out quarantine measures so as not to expose third parties to risk.

Yesterday, Dr. Clarissa Etienne , director of the Pan American Health Organization, highlighted in the international conference of PAHO / WHO the sanitary residences in Chile as a successful strategy to reduce transmission.

Those who do not have the conditions for safe isolation, that is, they do not have their own bathroom and room, adequate ventilation, lack of support network at home and are in close contact; suspect; probable; Pending results or confirmed cases, they can request admission to one of the Health Residences of the region to which they correspond by calling 800 726 666.

The health residences are free and they offer food and health monitoring for the duration of the quarantine period (14 days from the onset of symptoms).

A 98 percent of occupancy registered the eight sanitary residences belonging to the O'Higgins Region. During the last days, a new site was opened in Pichilemu, the first in the Cardenal Caro province, due to the increase in cases in the area.

Many days we have been 100 percent, but nevertheless, during the month of January, we opened three additional sanitary residences, and these have taken over quickly this Monday we opened the eighth residence in Pichilemu, with 36 additional beds, said the Minister of Health of O'Higgins, Pablo Ortiz.

As of this Friday, the region will have 308 total beds for this strategy.

Meanwhile, in La Araucanía , the Ministry of Health, Gloria Rodríguez , reported that they have "eight working health residences, the occupancy is 98 percent and, for that reason, we are managing to open two new ones in the coming days.