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News > Latin America

Chile’s Lower House to Question Health Minister Paris

  • Health Minister Enrique Paris, Santiago, Chile, 2021.

    Health Minister Enrique Paris, Santiago, Chile, 2021. | Photo: Twitter/ @ADM_CuentaChile

Published 2 July 2021
Opinion

The interpellation was requested by a group of opposition lawmakers to force Enrique Paris to account for his handling of the pandemic.

On Thursday, Chile’s Lower House approved to question Health Minister Enrique Paris on July 20 for his handling in the communication of the first Delta variant contagion in the country and other issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The interpellation, which had 66 votes in favor and 42 votes against, was requested by a group of opposition parliamentarians to force Paris to account for his handling of the pandemic.

On June 24, the first Delta variant case was confirmed in a 43-year-old woman who came from the United States. Health authorities did not reveal this woman had not complied with the five-day preventive confinement, which is compulsory for everyone who enters the country.

Besides the Delta variant case, Chilean legislators will discuss bed accessibility in intensive care units and details about the vaccination process.

"We hope that all doubts will be clarified by July 20. We also expect to accord a new governance proposal," said opposition lawmaker Miguel Crispi, who will be in charge of questioning the minister.

Chile has been going through a second wave of COVID-19 contagion since March, which forced President Sebastian Piñeira to shield the country's borders in April. Since then, tourists, resident foreigners, or citizens returning to their homeland can only enter Chile in cases of emergency.

Since mid-June, the country registered a drop in daily coronavirus infections, which has led the authorities to gradually end the strict quarantine.

So far, the country has reported 1,555,902 COVID-19 cases and confirmed two cases of the Delta variant.  

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