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Despite the progress of its national vaccination campaign, this South American country is registering over 5,000 new cases per day.
Former Health Minister Jaime Mañalich on Monday urged Chile's President Sebastian Piñera to postpone the regional elections scheduled for April 10 and 11 due to the COVID-19 cases upsurge.
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"The government has no control over the pandemic. We should postpone the elections of mayors, councilors, governors, and lawmakers," Mañalich said.
In the last 24 hours, health authorities reported 5,117 new cases and ordered strict quarantine in 28 communities in the country.
"The people could not go to the polls for fear of contagion. The lives of our citizens and the legitimacy of the Chilean electoral process are at stake," he added.
(Xinhua) -- #Chile announced on Sunday the third consecutive day of more than 5,000 daily cases of COVID-19, with 5,280 cases, bringing the total to 855,785, the Ministry of Health reported. @salhaj @DrTedros pic.twitter.com/VIxLNiOjXq
— Caribbean disaster (@BagalueSunab) March 8, 2021
The Medical Association also assured Piñera must take radical decisions to protect the Chilean citizens and warned that 95 percent of the Intensive Care Units (ICU) are already occupied.
Piñera, however, has ruled out postponing the elections. "I hope the people will comply with the health measures, which will be the same ones applied during the National Plebiscite on October 25, 2020," he said.
Despite the progress of the national vaccination campaign, Chile is amid the second wave of COVID-19 with over 5,000 new cases per day.
#Chile | Citizens protest the lack of help from #SebastianPiñera's government during the #COVID19 pandemic. #Coronavirus pic.twitter.com/hDjQfjs9ZD
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) May 19, 2020
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