Venezuela contains COVID-19 as a result from early sanitary measures

Venezuela’s success in containing COVID-19 results from four elements: social quarantine, massive personalized screening, medicines and hospitalization, asserted President Nicolás Maduro when asked about the low death rate in the South American country. The Venezuelan president explained that the figures that make Venezuela the Latin American country with less COVID-19 cases are the result of early measures adopted by the Presidential Commission for the Prevention and Control of Coronavirus (COVID-19), based on the experience of countries such as the People’s Republic of China, North Korea the coronavirus behavior in Europe and the United States. “We took bold, timely measures and we did not get caught up in philosophical, useless discussions on whether or not quarantine helps,” he stressed. He reiterated that the best way to break and contain the spread chains is social quarantine, and Venezuela has implemented it since March 16. “We have reached 85% of quarantine compliance (…) We have not imposed curfews, nor have we suspended guarantees. We have appealed to the conscience of Venezuelan families and the country.” Venezuela registers 227 COVID-19 cases and 9 deaths. So far, more than 140,000 citizens have been visited by specialized medical staff doing preventive tests. Also, more than 23,000 beds are available to attend to COVID-19 patients. Presidential Press Office