En its most recent report on COVID-19, the Santander Health Secretariat revealed that between December 23 and 29, 14 deaths were registered from this virus in the department.
Half of these cases, according to the departmental report, were registered in Bucaramanga, followed by Floridablanca with three victims; while Barrancabermeja, Charalá, Güepsa, Rionegro, reported one case each.
Although the numbers of infections and deaths are lower by a high percentage compared to the same periods of 2021; Between December 2 and 29, 2022, 32 deaths from this disease were registered in the department, which translates into a 68% reduction compared to the same period in 2021.
Regarding the number of infections in Santander, there are currently 664 active cases.
Faced with this situation, Luis Felipe Tarazona Velásquez, director of Development, Inspection, Surveillance and Control of the Santander Health Secretariat, commented that there are several risk factors that might affect the reports of deaths and infections in recent weeks.
The first of these, as explained by Tarazona Velásquez, is that most of these deaths occurred in older adults who had comorbidities or diseases such as “diabetes and hypertension”, among others.
In her call, Tarazona Velásquez reminded Santandereans that “COVID is a disease that still persists, that has not disappeared”, and stressed that it is necessary to comply with vaccination schemes.
“We still have patients who have not completed their vaccination scheme, it is very important to comply with these schemes,” added Tarazona Velásquez, and called on citizens to attend the department’s medical centers, since vaccination is permanent in the health centers in each municipality.
In addition, Tarazona Velásquez emphasized that the low use of face masks by people with symptoms of respiratory diseases is one of the main concerns regarding the spread of diseases such as COVID-19 in Santander.
For her part, Laura Milena Parra Prada, Undersecretary of Health of Bucaramanga, specified that the number of deaths in the city, which had COVID-19 as the direct cause of death, was two cases in December 2022. According to the official, the other deaths related to this virus, during this period, were the result of the consequences caused by COVID-19.
Additionally, Parra Prada delivered some of the recommendations for citizens and visitors this holiday season, and invited them not to let their guard down in the face of this situation.
These are some of the recommendations that the official gave.
1. Use of face masks by people over three years of age in means of transport and terminals, health centers and the elderly.
2. Use of masks in public places by the population with chronic diseases or immune deficiency or by other people in their presence.
3. Maintaining physical distance (minimum 1.5 meters) in public places.
4. Frequent hand washing or application of antiseptic gel.
5. Go to the vaccination points to receive your booster doses.
At the departmental level, statistics indicate that only 26.3% of Santandereans have their first booster dose of the vaccine. In Bucaramanga, that percentage of citizens who have come for their reinforcement is 53% of the population, according to Undersecretary Parra Prada.