What exactly is their Plan. Lockdown till vaccine?

[mike29187]

So a lockdown since March and yet the cases and deaths in Buenos Aires are still going up .What exactly is going on. From the outside it seems crazy,their seems to be no policy of Track and trace or early detection. What will it take for the Government to try something new? Are they planning on keeping the lockdown until their is a vaccine?

 

[Alby]

There isn't much of a lockdown anymore, in the city at least. There never was one, in practice, in the province. The lockdown served other objectives and held for as long as the government could hold it in place whilst it pursued those objectives.

I don't think they have any more capacity or intention to do serious track and trace than any other country in the region, or in the US for that matter. So, like those countries, the virus will just burn through the population. It's a minor miracle (with official national daily new infection rates now exceeding 10,000) that the ICUs aren't at capacity. I am not sure how to account for that. But, we should be glad of it.

In the beginning, when the quarantine was strict but only a few people were dying each week, the President would express his condolences to the family and insist that the only thing that mattered was saving lives. Now, when the quarantine is largely over, and between 100 and 200 people die every day, we hear nothing from him, neither condolences nor affirmations about the primacy of saving lives. Pathetic.

 

[FallenAngel]

The lockdown only continues to distract people from the enormous economic impact of the lockdown. The politicians fear they will hung in the streets if people begin to be less scared of the virus and instead focus on how the lockdown impacted their meager lives. As such, it may continue indefinitely or at least until someone institutes a coup.

 

[antipodean]

I disagree that the quarantine is over. I agree that the quarantine and the government have lost the respect of the people however. The government’s statements are just to save face.

- There are still many totally or partially shuttered sectors like bars and restaurants, malls, gyms, kindergartens as well as tourism.
- There are still restrictions on circulation
- There are still criminal penalties for socializing in private and when / how one is able to use the public space (regardless of whether they are enforced or not, if someone is out to get you or make a political example then they could use - them against you)
- There are still some provinces with total lockdowns in place or even nighttime curfews.

The last point is the worst for me as it illustrates an Argentina with totally different strategies at totally different stages of the outbreak - meaning domestic travel and circulation is likely to stay closed for a very long time to come as the virus starts to move its focus to the interior. The interior also has a weaker health system so the death rate risks being far more brutal.

While I undertake the need to impose measured restrictions to avoid the Virus going totally haywire, I understand that you need compliance to make a policy successful and that people don’t have eternal patience. We put in a good effort for months only to hear the health minister say “maybe we started the lockdown too early” after tens if not hundreds of thousands had been put on the street and suffering from hunger as a result of such measures. Yet we still end up with a huge and accelerating death toll and huge amount of cases spreading in the community six months later. What a way to piss on your own people. Oh well the economy will bounce back as we were promised... but in the meantime?

 

[mike29187]

How are People surviving economically with nothing open? Is their any discussion at all about maybe a change of direction because clearly the lockdown is not working.

 

[antipodean]

How are People surviving economically with nothing open? Is their any discussion at all about maybe a change of direction because clearly the lockdown is not working.

There are many protests and much discussion. The attitude of the government is to label people with opposing views as “anti-life” and sow division while it rules by decree. There were even some attempts to sensor media causing international NGOs to raise their concerns.

Economic survival depends on who you ask. Tens of thousands of businesses have been forced to close permanently. Food banks are at their limits and have historic demand. Crime is going nuts as people try to feed themselves and their families. Household debt is at record levels. There are more “to rent” signs around the place than in any recent time.

But the government has been proving zero or low interest loans to sole traders and businesses as well as helping businesses pay a % of their payroll (because it forbids them from making layoffs or suspensions) The government has made a few payments to some individuals of AR$10k. The government have frozen the prices of many consumer products, utilities and rent - meaning that once the breaks come off inflation is set to skyrocket and people need to pay the difference between the frozen rent amounts and actualized rent amounts (which have not been pardoned)

This financial shock will destroy many more people.
In short, these measures (like the health measures) have only kicked the can down the road with no clear objective in sight.

 

[mike29187]

There are many protests and much discussion. The attitude of the government is to label people with opposing views as “anti-life” and sow division while it rules by decree. There were even some attempts to sensor media causing international NGOs to raise their concerns.

Economic survival depends on who you ask. Tens of thousands of businesses have been forced to close permanently. Food banks are at their limits and have historic demand. Crime is going nuts as people try to feed themselves and their families. Household debt is at record levels. There are more “to rent” signs around the place than in any recent time.

But the government has been proving zero or low interest loans to sole traders and businesses as well as helping businesses pay a % of their payroll (because it forbids them from making layoffs or suspensions) The government has made a few payments to some individuals of AR$10k. The government have frozen the prices of many consumer products, utilities and rent - meaning that once the breaks come off inflation is set to skyrocket and people need to pay the difference between the frozen rent amounts and actualized rent amounts (which have not been pardoned)

This financial shock will destroy many more people.
In short, these measures (like the health measures) have only kicked the can down the road with no clear objective in sight.

For a country that I love its hurts to hear how things are. I was hoping on taking a trip back in May 2021 but I cant see that happening with the way things are going.

 

[jblaze5779]

The quarantine is definitely not over for much of the country.

 

[Rich One]

The quarantine is definitely not over for much of the country.

Very true ...It took 5 months from early March with 100 infection level to late August with over 10,000 infections per day. ! the curve May peak in September so assuming the curve is symmetric it will take another 6 months to be at 100 infections per day . That means March 2020..!! OMG

 

[Renzi]

Lockdown is not "over" but at least in CABA people are generally ignoring it and the authorities are pretending to enforce it. My local parrilla put out tables on the sidewalk, but no chairs. So you can have your Imperial and vacío while standing and turn your face mask into a bib!