Maggie's Madness Drug War Chronicles Baja California
A continuation of events surrounding the drug war and related social issues of Baja California and Mexico. Keeping an eye on Seig Heil Trump. We are still trying to restore all blogs from 2006 which were hacked by Linton Robinson and his team, famous for supporting the Baja Trump Towers on one of his real estate sites. Highlights of Paris-Simone's favorite music !!
Well y'all know how I feel about Bernie, and cryin out loud he was right on about Universal (especially apparent NOW) Health Care and everything else. I have a feeling he will be a force to reckon with in Washington D.C. after Trump is kicked out and run out of town like the liar and bum that he is.
Jill Filipovic writes:
"Donald
Trump could not care less about the health and well-being of the
American people. He has no attachment to good governance, professional
ethics, or public service. He doesn't like independent watchdogs because
they're inconvenient for him;
he prefers lapdogs.
And so he is exploiting the pandemic to sack anyone
who might point out just how terribly he has mangled the response.
The result won't just be a swampier and more corrupt White House. We Americans may pay with our lives."
Meanwhile, pay attention to the Governor from Illinois, J.B. Pritzker. So far I have not read anything derogatory about him (waiting for a Ryan Grim or Mackey report) and only found out about him a few days ago. I like him. He just could easily pound Trump into the ground, and he probably might. He is in the second video, he is no lightweight: (UPDATE: Just read on wiki he was involved with a shady tax deal, oh no. Still, can he go to confession? )
Just checking in quickly because I am in the middle of baking banana bread for here & neighbors (six loaves). Later in the week I'll be baking apple pies. BTW, excellent recipes over on MSN News, they will blow you away.
Meanwhile everything is okay here and I'll try to get back with the stats...you can check them yourselves because I don't know when I'll get out of the kitchen .
Tonight I'm making old fashioned real fish sandwhiches with cod, like you used to get at Point Loma Seafood. ! It's still raining here, unsure how long the electricity will hold out.
Also, click the links on the sidebar....I'm so sick of Trump and his bullshit I can't stand it anymore!!!
I had read that according to Google, the majority of Mexican people are not staying at home, despite fair warnings and the importance of social distancing. The weekend prior to this article, we were impressed by the conditions in Rosarito Beach at the supermarkets, the pharmacias, the fish store, the gas station and the general social distancing we witnessed on the streets which were not crowded for a weekend. Most people were wearing masks in the stores and hand sanitizer was being made available in front of Smart & Final. Here is that report on Google:
"Mexico
is the country in Latin America that has least complied with the
instruction to remain isolated due to the coronavirus pandemic, and this
could be demonstrated by registering their cell phones.
The company Google released this Friday, April 3, a study where it
collects the information from mobile devices that have the location
chronology of their map application activated.
These same data are offered in a segmented way into six categories for
each region or geographic area. In Latin America there are differences
between the countries that have taken drastic isolation measures.
It is in this way that it is known that only 45% of Mexicans have
stopped going to leisure places, of the aforementioned percentage 46%
continue to attend recreational places, 19% to markets, 20% to their
jobs.
In this way, it is shown that Mexicans have not yet taken the isolation
measure with the seriousness it should, despite the recommendations of
the Mexican authorities from the three levels of government.
In contrast, in Argentina a total quarantine began on March 20, the
drop in the influx of people to cafes, restaurants, shopping malls was
noted from the first day, reaching 86%, although it was already
decreasing.
As a means of reference for habitual mobility, Google has used the
movement that occurred in each of those areas, in the five weeks that
ran from January 3 to February 6 of this year.
Also in Colombia, the brake on mobility has been very important, 86% of
people have avoided attending leisure places, such as playgrounds.
In Brazil the decrease has been 71%, a similar figure was registered in
Chile and in Peru the percentage of people's mobility fell to 55%.
Google offers for some countries data by provinces, which for example
reflect a comparative decrease in mobility greater in large cities than
in provinces without large crowds.
What is worrying is that in Mexico it is still in a stage where the
pandemic due to COVID-19 does not hit with the expected severity.
Currently in Baja California there are already 58 confirmed cases of
people infected with the coronavirus, with Mexicali being the city with
the highest number of infections, 32 and then Tijuana with 26; as well as 4 deceased people."
~~~~~
However, this weekend threw us for a loop. Mike, wearing both a mask and gloves, walked in to Calimax on Benito Juarez which was crowded and the parking lot was full, took several looks around and exited. There was no social distancing, no one was wearing masks or gloves except for the checkers. Same situation at the Walmart . Not hundreds of people on the streets, but groups were together and no masks were seen; the gas station was good as was the Simi pharmacia, and importantly Smart & Final got the gold star, including the shoppers inside. You actually felt safe inside, even though the prices are high. Smart & Final also had hand sanitizer and toilet paper. Up in the States, they are limiting the number of people who can go into the stores (i.e. Vons & Walmart & Smart & Final) but so far there are no limits down here. So, I don't know what happened at Calimax,but it was scary. Mike will check it out again today.
The lines going up every morning very early at SYPOE are backed up, so many people commuting still. Police and National Guard on the streets in Tijuana and even below Ensenada in places like Camalu, Colonet and San Quintin directing people to go back to their homes. We'll see what happens over Semana Santa.
The good news is that according to the authorities there are no cases of the Covid-19 in Rosarito Beach, so let's keep our fingers crossed.
~~~~~
UPDATE/EDIT - 04/05/20:
Rosarito Beach situation - This afternoon Mike went in again to RB and reports a 100% improvement in the conditions at Calimax on Benito Juarez. In a complete turnaround from yesterday's free-for-all, only one entrance door was opened, staff was limiting the number of people who could go into the store, staff was cleaning people's hands as they entered, and people were being kept apart inside of the store. Still, only about a quarter of the shoppers wore face mask protection. So, wow Calimax also gets a gold star. This is important: On Benito Juarez, there was a police unit flanked by two truckloads of Army/National guardsmen equipped with a loudspeaker driving slowly while announcing the safety precautions to take against the virus and advising people to stay home, impressive ! I'd have to disagree with google on RB, streets were not crowded at all, yesterday was a glitch - I think people are getting the word. Good Job !!! Maybe one of you out there can bring us up to date on what's happening over in Constitucion, Popotla, etc ? That would be nice, thanks. end edit. ~~~~~
"A
man, 49 years old, was the fifth fatal victim from COVID-19 that is
registered in Baja California, reported the morning of April 4, Dr.
Alonso Pérez Rico, head of the State Health Secretariat.
Currently in Baja California 69 cases have been confirmed, presenting
for the first time a case in the municipality of Ensenada. The rest of the breakdown are 32 in Tijuana and 36 in Mexicali.
Of the deaths, 3 were in Tijuana and 2 in Mexicali, Pérez Rico noted
that the 49-year-old patient is the youngest person to have died in the
state due to this new disease, the rest remain in the age group of 50
and 65 years old.
Under analysis of 202 cases are found as suspects, 103 in Tijuana, 62
in Mexicali, 29 in Ensenada, 5 in Tecate and 3 in San Quintín.
First confirmed case in Ensenada
In Ensenada, the presence of the first case of infection with the
COVID-19 virus was confirmed this Saturday, Pérez Rico reported during
the live broadcast with Governor Jaime Bonilla Valdez. He announced that in total there are 29 suspected cases in Ensenada and 3 more in the San Quintín delegation.
Before the confirmation of the first positive case, the municipal
president, Armando Ayala Robles, urged the population to continue
applying the sanitary recommendations to jointly achieve the containment
of the pandemic in the municipality.
The first mayor highlighted that since March 18 his administration
launched actions aimed at the application of preventive measures and for
the protection of groups with greater vulnerability, in said
checkpoints they detected tourists entering the port.
Consequently, the first mayor invited those who arrive at the
municipality from other parts of Baja California and the United States,
to isolate themselves for a period of 14 days and if they show any
symptoms of respiratory disease during that time, they should contact
the telephone lines arranged by the Ministry of Health."
P.S. Am adding this - the one man found to be an active carrier was only found due to the police traffic filter at El Sauzal going into Ensenada manned by the police on the look out for people who are infected by Covid-19. So, we are hoping the jefes are keeping their guys well protected and safe, they are putting their lives on the line. Thank you to the authorities and be careful !
Update/edit : 04/05/20
Seven are dead, and 93 cases of Covid-19 confirmed in Baja California, a big jump in confirmed cases:
"Baja
California has already registered 7 deaths, 4 in Tijuana and 3 in
Mexicali, and 93 cases of people infected with COVID-19, for which
reason social distancing continues.
Alonso Pérez Rico, Secretary of Health in the State, reported through a
live transmission that 651 cases have been studied, of which 380 have
been discarded.
Of the 178 suspected cases, Tijuana has 88, Mexicali 57, Ensenada 27,
Tecate 5, Vicente Guerrero / San Quintín 1, and Rosarito 0.
As for deaths, the 7 people are men, and the average age is 57.8 years. The first 2 deaths occurred on March 29, 2 more on March 31, one on April 2, and two more on April 4.
Of
the confirmed cases, 15 have obesity, 15 hypertension, 19 smoking, 10
diabetes, 5 asthma, 3 HIV / AIDS, 2 cardiovascular disease, 2
immunosuppression, 1 chronic kidney failure and 1 chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD).
Pérez Rico noted that only 10 percent of confirmed cases are
hospitalized, and that so far they still have beds and respirators
available for those who require it, but asked to keep their distance so
as not to saturate health services.
He added that it is in Mexicali where there has been greater resistance
to keeping their distance, since they continue to hold meetings and
conglomerate, so he asked to heed the recommendations and avoid
infecting third parties."
"Until the afternoon of this Saturday, April 4, in Mexico there have
been 79 deaths from coronavirus, reported the Ministry of Health.
Sanitary authorities confirmed 1,890 cases, they said they are
investigating 5,827 as suspects, while 9,467 have been ruled out. In total, 17 thousand 184 people have been studied. Three quarters of the cases have been registered in the last 14 days. The average age of sick people is 43 years. In 78 percent of cases the disease is mild.
Mexico has one of the highest prevalences of diabetes and three
quarters of the population are overweight and obese, which puts the
population at risk, said Hugo López-Gatell Ramírez, Undersecretary for
Prevention and Health Promotion.
He specified that it can not yet be assured that Mexico has made little
progress in cases due to the health measures implemented since March 13
throughout the country. The entities that register the most cases of COVID-19 are Mexico City, with 469; the State of Mexico, 180; Puebla, where there were 125, and Jalisco, with 120.
While the demarations with the highest incidence rate of contagions are
Mexico City, where 5.2 cases are located for every 100,000 people; follow Quintana Roo with a rate of 4.35, in Aguascalientes the rate is 3.42; Tabasco and Yucatan follow, with 3.36 and 3.23.
The states with the most deaths are Mexico City, with 17; Sinaloa, where 10 people died; Jalisco, with six, while in Baja Califoirnia there have been five deaths from the virus.
The official recalled that in Mexico the population is exposed to
getting COVID-19 because it has one of the highest prevalences of
diabetes, while three quarters are overweight and obese. "That will weigh," he added.
He specified that it can not yet be assured that Mexico has made little
progress in cases due to the health measures implemented since March 13
throughout the country.
Gatell-López reminded citizens that people with signs of COVID-19 who
are not within the population with more risk factors should stay home to
avoid saturating the medical centers. GOVERNMENT CALLS DOCTORS
Alejandro Svarch Pérez, head of the Insabi National Medical
Coordination, recalled that the call "Mexico against COVID-19", which
seeks the recruitment of medical personnel, began today and aims to
respond to the deficit of doctors in the country.
Zoé Robledo Aburto, Director General of the IMSS, specified that the
staff contracts will last six months, which implies that the
institutions will provide social insurance for the new workers, as well
as their family, who will also have liability insurance.
"(The new staff) will be dedicated body and soul to attending to
cases," he said, explaining that the training will be sectoral.
In addition, in the case of unionized workers of the IMSS, they will be given a union aid for death
Robledo Aburto and Svarch Pérez detailed that the contracted people
will receive a month's payment in advance plus the per diem payment,
considering that some doctors would come from other states;
It will also be sought that the National Examination of Aspirants to
Medical Residences recognize the commitment to the country they have,
giving them an additional score. Alejandro Svarch explained that the health authorities hope to hire 6,600 doctors and 12,300 nurses.
Tomorrow will begin the process of review of applications, on April 6
will start the recruitment and it is expected that between April 7 and 9
to 20-30 percent of our deficit of doctors in the country will be
hired, he said.
Between April 10 and 13 they will have 40 and 50 percent of the hiring,
from 1 to 17 they will be from 70 to 75 percent, while from April 18 to
20 they will be 90 to 100 percent, he added.
The official recalled that the hospitals are already working on a
"waterfall model", where specialized doctors train general
practitioners, this to be prepared in case of not being able to hire all
the necessary personnel through the call."
~~~~~
Drug WarContinues:
19 executed this month so far in Tijuana, the YTD TIJ = 494 dead and YTD Statewide = 621 dead. I'll be back with Ensenada stats which are high, and a shootout between vehicles down the road on the Scenic Highway by BajaMar raised some eyebrows.
"The
State Security and Investigation Guard (GESI) reported that in the last
few hours there have been five homicides in different parts of Tijuana. The number of murders so far in April has reached 19, and in the year at 494.
In the parking lot of Plaza Misión Soler, located in the El Soler
subdivision, a man, between 35 and 40 years old, was shot to death in
the torso. Five shells and a bullet were found at the scene.
Derived from an armed attack, one man died and another was wounded in
events that occurred on Margarita Avenue and San Carlos Street in the
Jardines de la Mesa neighborhood.
The victims were identified as 29-year-old Felipe de Jesús Galaviz
Ávila, who was declared lifeless at the site, after the impacts he
received on the abdomen, while Salvador Delgadillo García, 32, was
transferred to a hospital for attention. At the crime scene, 9 bushings and two vehicles with holes were counted.
A man who answered the name of Jesús Alfredo Ponce Jáuregui, 33, perished in the IMSS Hospital Number 20.
The deceased entered the hospital a day earlier with gunshot wounds to
the head, after being attacked in the Cumbres neighborhood.
On Cruz del Sur street, on the corner of Andrómeda, in the Sánchez
Taboada neighborhood, a young man between 20 and 25 years old was
attacked with two shots to the abdomen, and died instantly.
Finally, in the early morning hours of this Saturday, April 4, in a
white Ford E-150 vehicle with California 8P44807 license plates on
Purísima Street, in front of number 20567, Buenos Aires Sur
neighborhood, a young man of 20 was found dead. to approximately 25
years. The victim was tied at the lower extremities with a white coated cable. A 9mm caliber shell and a bullet were found at the site. With these crimes, the statewide homicide figure has reached 621 so far in 2020."
~~~~~
Update/edit : 04/05/20
The numbers increase: TIJ YTD - 496 Homicides/Executions; Statewide YTD - 666 Homicides/Executions:
"Two executions on Saturday, April 4, were reported by the State Security and Investigation Guard (GESI) in Tijuana. The number of violent deaths reached 496 victims in 2020.
Late Saturday night, the emergency center was informed that in the
Garden and Albacete streets of the Villas del Sol subdivision, the body
of a male between 50 and 55 years old was found. The deceased had a head injury caused by a firearm projectile. A 7.72 × 39 caliber shell was found in the area
Later, inside a black Nissan Sentra vehicle with A37-NUF-8 border
plates, the lifeless body of a man was found in the driver's seat. The victim, aged between 40 and 45, had a gunshot wound to the chest.
Agents of the Processing group of the State Investigation Agency report
that the events occurred in Ignacio Allende street in front of # 16558,
Lomas de la Amistad neighborhood. So far no people detained for the events are reported.
In Baja California, on Saturday, April 4, there were 5 executions, two
in Tijuana, two in Rosarito and one in Mexicali, bringing the number of
intentional homicides to 666 victims in 2020."
end edit.
~~~~~
So, it's still pretty dicey guys. Take Care Everyone.
For eons I have had a pottery addiction - I've managed to collect a complete set of red marked Spode (which was stashed in the basement of a person's house in London during WWII), a set of Mason's Regency (with the little bug) from 1949 also from England, many James Borsey /Wade of Ireland pieces and early (pre WWII )Rosenthal pieces from Europe. For everyday use, I've stuck with Franciscan Desert Rose pieces from the '50's.
Just prior to the virus, I had my eye set on Edith Health pieces of dinnerware which I always wanted but were too expensive for me. Actually, you can still buy freshly made Edith Heath , and I love the redwood plates, but they are pricey. So lately during the virus I've been able to pick up several dinner and salad plates from ebay from across the country. Since I missed the Edith Heath boat for years, I feel I'm making up for lost time and Mike really likes them. So far, I've collected 6 perfect Rimmed Mojave dinner plates ,3 rimmed Mojaves with just a bit of damage, one perfect avocado 1970's cereal bowl, and several 71/2 rimmed salad plates in the redwood and brown colors . So, it looks like these will be our go to plates now, and it's lots of fun - a destressor in the time of the virus.
Hope you guys out there are holding up and staying healthy.
~~~~~
The Local Drug War Stats:
Zeta reports this morning the month of March ended with 162 executions in Tijuana, giving Tijuana a YTD total 476 dead. Statewide, YTD recorded are 633 executions. So, you can see a tiny reduction, but not much. It is still at the point where the drug war deaths far outnumber the virus deaths. In fact, you can get a birds eye view of 40% of the drugland territories here.
The Covid Virus Stats, Local & Nationwide: First of all, I am still waiting on reports regarding the 28 - 70 students infected by the virus in Cabo San Lucas, BCS. What we don't know with absolute certainty is if these people were infected prior to their flight, or even became infected on their private flight down to Cabo. Plus we don't know how many other people were infected by these students down in Cabo or how many other people were infected by the students when several of them took a public flight home. So, before we start jumping through hoops, let's keep an eye on this situation; however, these students were really dumb - the US government had issued an advisory warning for non-essential travel but they, the students chose to travel anyways. Speaking of travel, Mike reports only four of the Sentri Lanes have been open very early in the mornings and the lines are backed up once again with tons of people crossing into the USA in the normal lanes at San Ysido POE. Unsure of where they are going - work related? Keep in mind these numbers will change and here is a link from WHO if you are following the virus around the globe with daily updates. ~ All Reports From Zeta: 04/01/20
"The
deaths in Baja California by COVID-19 have already accumulated two more
cases, in addition to the one reported yesterday in the city of
Mexicali, with three cases until this Wednesday, April 1, reported the
state secretary of Health, Alonso Pérez Rico, during the morning
conference.
The
victims are two men, one from Tijuana and the other from Mexicali, one
between the ages of 50 and 54, and the other between the ages of 60 and
64. All three had obesity problems and diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.
With 43 confirmed cases, 15 in Tijuana and 28 in Mexicali, Baja
California continues in position number 11 in the states of the republic
with a patient infected with COVID-19; One of these patients is a woman 7 months pregnant, who became infected after a family member returned from abroad.
Pérez Rico reported that out of every 100 tests that are done, 15 are
coming out positive, also indicated that of the 43 positives, 26 are
recovering at home and eight have had to be hospitalized.
149 people are suspected, 83 from Tijuana, 38 in Mexicali, 22 in
Ensenada, 2 in Playas de Rosarito, 1 in Tecate and 3 in Vicente
Guerrero, San Quintín. Among the suspects is the case of a one-month-old baby, who presented symptoms after the mother tested positive.
He stressed that in patients who have died, they have realized that
they died four or five days after presenting the first symptoms.
Some characteristics of infected people are that they are mostly men,
between 45 and 54 years old, and have a history of smoking, hiv,
diabetes, hypertension and obesity.
The
Secretary of Health emphasized that COVID-19 is a disease that can
affect all groups in society regardless of age, so he invited citizens
to continue with preventive actions, such as healthy distance, avoiding
leaving Unless necessary, do not make any contact when greeting,
constantly washing your hands, or using antibacterial gel, and avoid
touching your mouth, nose, and eyes.
For his part, the governor of Baja California, Jaime Bonilla, spoke of
the arbitrary increases in food stores, said that these actions, raising
prices, hiding the merchandise and generating the idea that there are
food shortages, will incite the population for him to loot.
"They can't do that because the only result is going to be that people
are going to get angry and forcefully enter those markets.
My recommendation is not to be voracious, give the prices that they
should be, because they are creating very bad faith throughout the
community, and no government will see them overlap.
We are not in favor of any looting, but we are also not in favor of the
commercial abuse that they are doing to the public, "stressed Bonilla
Valdez.
Of the Integrative Migrant Center, he said that they have 193 people,
well below capacity, so they are planning to use the center installed in
Mexicali, as a hospital for those infected with COVID-19." ~~~~~
"Witha
population of 3.3 million inhabitants, Health Secretary Alfonso Pérez
Rico estimates that in Baja California there will be 5 thousand people
infected by coronavirus, 500 of severity.The
official explained that not all health personnel will receive
protective equipment, "they will be delivered according to the level of
exposure they will have with COVID-19 patients," he announced."
Doctors
and nurses from all health institutions in Baja California are in
uncertainty about the challenge they face due to the arrival of the
COVID-19 virus in the State, and they do not have the infrastructure and
sufficient medical supply.
In the week that ends, the administrators of clinics and hospitals of
the Social Security of Tijuana, Playas de Rosarito and the Institute of Security and Social Services of State Workers
(ISSSTE), reported that employees who were over 65 years old or
Morbidity -hypertension, obesity, diabetes, or some immunosuppressive
disease- would not show up for work. Those who would continue to work would have to do so without protective equipment.
At IMSS Regional Hospital Number 1, doctors reported that they put
together their kits to care for patients arriving with respiratory
diseases, regardless of whether it is COVID-19 or some other.
"In a plastic bag we put gloves, a mouthpiece that we can get, a
disposable hat, a gown and glasses, but when their validity ends we have
to discard them, it is obvious that we are afraid," said an employee.
At Clinica 17, located in Rosarito, another worker reiterated: "We do
not have enough respirators for other illnesses, much less for a
contingency like the one that is going to start because of COVID-19."
In the Institute of Security and Social Services for Government and
Municipal Workers of the State of Baja California (Issstecali) the
situation is not better.
“A few days ago a woman came, not so old, she has a picture and initial
diagnosis for atypical pneumonia, but it is not that, and they did not
want to do the coronavirus test because she had no travel history, but
she was negative for influenza and all the others, so they did it and we
are waiting for results, but now nobody wants to get closer, we have no
way to protect ourselves ”, he explained.
In this situation, some doctors from IMSS clinics have decided to ask
the public for donations and to buy special suits from their bags.
They know that the directors of the Institute have this team, but they
keep it safe, for when the high point of the pandemic occurs.
“Here we have (sic) several doctors that we are getting the teams,
cardiologists, internists mainly, intensivists, pediatricians,
geriatricians; as well as pulmonologists, epidemiologists, and infectologists, who will be the first line of defense. Please ask for support, ”said Doctor José Juan Trasviña Torres, through a live broadcast on March 25 from Plaza Las Palmas .
MEXICO AND BC ENTER PHASE 2
On the night of March 22, Mexico entered Phase 2 of the pandemic, in an
announcement made by the World Health Organization (WHO) due to the
refusal of the President of the Republic, Andrés Manuel López Obrador,
to accept the seriousness of the illness.
In Baja California, the first case of a patient confirmed with COVID-19
without having a travel history was registered on the night of Sunday,
March 22 in Mexicali. The statewide Phase 2 announcement was made the morning of March 24.
The Secretary of Health, Alfonso Pérez Rico, accompanied by Governor
Jaime Bonilla Valdez, announced that they would initiate other measures,
in addition to the social distancing that they had been promoting for
weeks. They asked for support - they did not order - the closure of clubs,
bars, gyms, churches and any non-essential establishments, and reported
that the police would patrol beaches and parks to avoid crowds for
entertainment purposes.
Another of the announced preventive measures was the reconversion of
general hospitals, such as care centers for patients with COVID-19,
which would imply the cancellation of scheduled non-vital surgeries,
postponement of outpatient consultations and transfer of patients with
other pathologies to other institutions. medical.
NO CAPACITY
In Baja California -which has 3.3 million inhabitants according to the
National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Informatics- it is
estimated that around 5,000 people become infected with COVID-19, that
is if its population abides by prevention and social distancing that
have been promoted for three weeks.
Of those possible 5,000 cases, around 500 people will require
hospitalization because of the virus or complications of their disease
morbidity.
"In the third phase scenarios, where we are already talking about an
epidemic dispersion, we are talking about 500 people who would need to
hospitalize in the following three months," said Pérez Rico. With social distancing measures, "the scenario we want is for those 500 to be, but in the next eight or nine months."
In any of the two scenarios, the plan is that the General Hospitals of
Tijuana, Mexicali and Ensenada would become the center of care for all
patients with COVID-19, with a capacity of 150 beds available in each
one, that is, 450 beds and 120 respirators throughout Baja California. “We are going to have certain hospitals that are going to be designated as headquarters of COVID-19.
There we will have the doctors who will manage all the patients with
the disease, there we will have the highest concentration of supplies
and those who will require a ventilator, ”he pointed out. “Right now we don't need many beds, but we want to plan for when we have them. If we never use them, that's good, but yes, we need them to be there. "
Although they announced that the reconversion would start on March 23,
at the close of this edition, there was not even the result of the
census made between Health personnel and patients to determine how many
would be transferred to other institutions.
Meanwhile, the rest of the patients who come to the Emergency
Department, for services that do not have to do with respiratory
diseases, will also be redirected to other ISSSTE hospitals, Issstecali
and IMSS.
HOSPITAL GENERAL STAFF MAKES SURE YOU ARE NOT PREPARED The strategy of turning General Hospitals into care centers for COVID-19 worries the workers of that institution in Tijuana.
Interviewed, some say they have been trained while others deny it, in
which all agree, is that they have not received the equipment that
allows them to protect themselves from contagion.
They also reported that medications are lacking and that the building
is not in a condition to accommodate large numbers of patients requiring
hospitalization.
Employees of the Health Sector who asked to omit their names detailed:
“The situation in the General Hospital of Tijuana is a bit critical, we
do not have enough supplies to solve the COVID-19 cases that may occur,
we do not have mouth covers, we do not have gel antibacterial, we don't
have enough soap.
Nor have we seen that the equipment has arrived, such as the protective
suit, we have not even had a meeting to know how we are going to work
if there is a large influx of infected patients. "
One of the main concerns of hospital workers is the risk of contagion
to their families because they work without protection and continue to
wait for them to deliver what is required in a contingency like the
current one: glasses, protective suit, covers mouths N95, boots , Hat
and gloves
.
"Although not all staff will be in contact with infected patients, we
will be at risk because we work in the same place, and all medical and
nursing staff are in constant contact," said one of those affected. As an example, they cited the German woman who entered the hospital facilities on March 16 as a suspected case of COVID-19.
At that time, the paramedics who took her in the ambulance wore the
necessary equipment to handle these types of patients, but when they
arrived at the hospital, the doctors and nurses who received her only
had cloth mouth covers, putting their health at risk.
TRAININGS WERE NOT MANDATORY: SECRETARY OF HEALTH
Questioned about the lack of training for General Hospital personnel,
the head of the Ministry of Health in Baja California, Alonso Pérez
Rico, assured that they did teach courses focused on personal
protection, but they were not compulsory and some employees did not
attend. They will retrain them because operational definitions are constantly changing.
"In the State we have given 24 thousand trainings in general in these
six weeks, to know how many are going to the General Hospital of
Tijuana, I would have to consult with the epidemiologist, but I invite
those who have not been trained to come to the Epidemiology area to
train them, ”said Pérez Rico.
NO SUPPLY FOR EVERYONE
Both Pérez Rico and the general director of Social Security, Zoé
Robledo Aburto, have reported that they have the necessary supplies to
attend the first stage of the contingency, but they will only be
delivered to certain personnel.
Baja California does have them, but not all employees will receive
them, since they will be delivered according to the level of exposure
they will have with COVID-19 patients, “to avoid misusing the material
due to fear and misinformation that could exist ”.
While Robledo Aburto had to go out and give a message to IMSS
personnel, after ten demonstrations were held in different states of the
Republic, demanding protective equipment for health personnel.
He contradicted the protesters and assured that since before the WHO
declared Phase 2 they were already working on the delivery of supplies
to the different delegations.
"We must prioritize those places where our battle will begin, such as
the metropolitan area of Mexico City and those states where there are
the largest number of confirmed cases," taking into account that BC is
in place 8 and there are no deaths, for which delivery will not be
immediate.
He also stressed that the Ministry of Finance made a consolidated
purchase of supplies for all medical institutions, "all the material we
have and will increase, will have the receipt of the Mexican Army in the
37 delegational warehouses and in the central warehouse in Vallejo, and
the Sedena (Ministry of National Defense) will support the IMSS in the
matter of distribution, ”confirmed the federal official.
LACK OF MEDICAL PERSONNEL
On March 24, the national call for the hiring of doctors and nurses,
especially specialists in the epidemiological area and internists, was
launched, as there is also a need for staff.
Alonso Pérez Rico indicated that Army and Navy doctors will work hand
in hand with Isesalud in the event of a contingency, since their
hospitals are not suitable for managing patients suffering from
COVID-19. He also invited volunteer doctors who want to help during the looming crisis for the next three weeks. The idea is to integrate a census of health personnel for the time that is required.
Currently more than a thousand people work at the General Hospital, a
figure that could be insufficient if the necessary measures are not
taken.
FEDERAL RESOURCES
Regarding the 10 billion pesos corresponding to the two-month periods
from April to June that the Ministry of Finance announced that it
advanced to the Health Institute for Welfare, Secretary Pérez Rico
declared that he does not know, because the meetings with the Federation
are still ongoing. , to determine how much money Baja California will
have.
Although this resource will not be additional, but an advance of the
contributions, he recognized that it will not be an inconvenience for
the future, once the contingency passes, because the Federation is
committed to providing additional support to the states if necessary
once that justify the operating expenses during the following months.
Currently they are at 67% of supply of medicines and 100% in pediatric
oncological medicine, in addition to the fact that the Health Sector has
enough medicine to attend to the symptoms that "infected patients
present".
Of the recently created Control Committee of COVID-19, he said that it
was an initiative of Governor Jaime Bonilla Valdez to make centralized
decisions on the destination and organization of human and material
resources.
It will be made up of military authorities, the Health Secretariat, the
Federal Government delegation in Baja California and some additional
secretariats such as the Welfare Secretariat.
The Army's participation is to implement Plan DN-III and protect the
food and medicine supplies that are strategically concentrated. Shelters restrict new entries to prevent coronavirus infections
The National Institute of Migration (INM) announced that in the eight
land access points to Baja California, as well as in the Comprehensive
Centers for Attention to Migrants in Tijuana and Mexicali, the protocol
for receiving repatriated migrants includes a medical check-up to detect
if they are infected with the coronavirus.
However, the various migrant shelters in Tijuana and Mexicali have not
been trained regarding the protocol, nor has the Ministry of Health
informed them how to handle suspected or confirmed cases.
Paulina Olvera, director of Espacio Migrante in Tijuana, commented that
they developed a plan to prevent infections inside the shelter, where
about 40 people live, mostly families waiting to receive asylum in the
United States.
“They
announced that there will no longer be hearings for those seeking
asylum, and we think the shelters will not have enough space to serve
these people when COVID-19 cases worsen.
We do not have the resources or capacity to isolate someone, in Mexico
there is no plan to care for people who are returned to this health
crisis, ”he lamented.
For his part, José Moreno Mena, who chairs the Pro Migrant Defense
Coalition, explained that there was an approach with the Ministry of
Health after they issued a statement demanding preventive measures
against the risk posed by the COVID-19 virus, but apart from the talk ,
did not receive any work plan to attend to coronavirus-related
emergencies.
They were only given a telephone number to receive information and
resolve doubts, which they have called without receiving a response.
On Wednesday, March 18, after US President Donald Trump announced that
those in the process of applying for asylum would be deported to Mexico,
the delegate of the Federal Government in Baja California, Jesús Ruiz
Uribe, declared that from Friday 20 to Monday 23 March they registered
an average of 60 deportations and repatriations, and about 50 express
expulsions; less than they were observing in previous weeks, when they received up to 500 people.
Government already resents COVID-2019
In addition to three state cabinet officials in isolation for suffering
from a coronavirus, according to Baja California Governor Jaime Bonilla
Valdez at his last morning conference on Thursday, March 26, three
other members of various government agencies are under guard by
confirmation or by suspected COVID-19.
Three new reports have been mentioned in Mexicali, which would represent an alert for the authorities.
The first, from a former commander of the State Ministerial Police, now
the State Investigation Agency, who vacationed in Los Angeles,
California two weeks ago, accompanied by his wife.
The agent close to former attorney Christian Colosio Lule, was on
vacation when his condition was discovered, so the contact he had with
other colleagues in the corporation was reduced. However, they had to take isolation measures in some of them awaiting confirmation.
Deputy
Jorge García Alcibíades, who with that closeness spoke with the
national leader of the Citizen Movement, Dante Delgado, and the former
rector of the UABC, Alejandro Mungaray (they say they want him as a
candidate), before celebrating on March 14 in Mexicali, your daughter's
wedding. Act in which he received hundreds of people
The second case was formally disclosed on Wednesday 25, that of the
federal deputy Jorge García Alcibíades, of the Citizen Movement, who was
positive for the coronavirus, according to the political body, who
requested that all persons who had contact with the 10 to March 12 at
the work meetings in which García participated, take the appropriate
care. He is under care at his home in Mexico City.
The same night, the Mexicali City Council had to re-analyze its
protocols in a case that disrupted the close circle of Mayor Marina del
Pilar Ávila Olmeda.
This is a first-rate official from the Public Relations area of the
City Council, who was sent to isolation for coronavirus symptoms, as was
her entire team.
On Thursday, March 26, the Mexicali City Council announced that the
security measures against the coronavirus, which has Mexico in Phase 2,
will be strengthened. Among the new measures, is to close access to
municipal offices, except in procedures that require urgent attention,
in addition to maintaining health filters in all properties.
Similarly, citizens were asked to refrain from going out as far as
possible, especially in houses where there are older adults, pregnant
women, children and anyone with conditions such as diabetes, cancer and
hypertension.Angela Torres Lozano "
"In Mexico, up to March 31, there are 29 deaths from the COVID-19 coronavirus. Of these deaths, 10 percent women and 90 percent men, while the median age of people who died is 56 years.
José Luis Alomía Zegarra, General Director of Epidemiology, of the
Ministry of Health (SSa) of the Federal Government, indicated that the
highest number of deaths is in Mexico City, with 8; while Hidalgo, Jalisco and Sinaloa, with 3 each entity, and San Luis Potosí, with 2.
The federal official indicated that so far, there are 1,215 confirmed
cases, 2,511 suspects and 6,282 cases that have been negative. Of these, 42 percent are women and 58 percent are men, while the average age is 42 years. Of these cases, 16 percent of the patients are hospitalized and 84 percent are on an outpatient basis. As for the comorbidities that affect those infected by the virus, hypertension continues to lead, with 55.17 percent. -Information in development… (Developing story...) "
Prior to that report, Carlos summarizes the "obstinacy" of AMLO in dealing with the virus:
" In the last 24 hours , in Mexico there were eight deaths from coronaviruses , totaling 37 victims, health authorities reported on the afternoon of this Wednesday, April 1.
In the country, 1,378 cases have been confirmed, 3,827 suspects are being investigated and 7,073 have been ruled out.
The 37 people who have died from COVID-19 suffered from diabetes,
hypertension or obesity, said José Luis Alomía Zegarra, general director
of Epidemiology, from the National Palace.
"We have to stay home. If we all stay in our house, we will reduce the transmission speed. We will thus have a more manageable epidemic, "added Hugo López Gatell, Undersecretary for Prevention and Health Promotion. "The measures are aimed at very intensive mitigation. With health security measures we are reducing the mobility of 70 million people, "he added.
Just before the press conference, and after the inauguration of the
Tlaxiaco hospital in Oaxaca, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, President of
Mexico, called on all the country's medical personnel to surrender to
the noble cause of saving lives in front of the pandemic.
At
the afternoon conference, the COVID-19MX application for mobile devices
was also presented, which, according to what they pointed out, will
help to guide the symptoms of coronavirus and will facilitate contact
with the Ministry of Health. APP coverage will be nationwide and will be available to Androind. They explained that soon they will do it for iOS." To download it enter here: cutt.ly/covid19mx. With information from SinEmbargo
Hoping all of you are OKAY and staying healthy. The last two nights I've had some weird end of the world nightmares - probably from reading everything out there on the virus and listening to our idiot President. Our doctor up in the states advised us that since Mike is considered "essential" and has to cross the border everyday to work, the first thing he should do when he gets home is take off his clothes - so, I've been doing lots of laundry and cooking. Anyway, that's a little tip to all of you who are still out there working. When Mike goes into the stores, he wears gloves and a mask, and he said the stores are slowly getting back to "normal" with the exception of toilet paper.
It is fair to say that despite the worldwide pandemic, the drug wars here continue and to date, more people are dying from that than the virus (although no one seems to care about this up there in the states).
The local and state governments,Universities, news sources and Health Officials are doing a terrific job of informing people about the pandemic and precautions to take - in Tijuana, the Paramedics are stopping people on the streets reminding them the importance of sanitary habits and social distancing. But then, there are always cases such as this from a couple of days back:
"If
people "are rich" they are at greater risk of contracting the COVID-19
coronavirus, but, on the contrary, "if they are poor, they are immune,"
Luis Miguel Gerónimo Barbosa Huerta, Constitutional Governor of Puebla,
declared this Wednesday, March 25. the period 2019-2024.
"Most are wealthy people, eh, do they know or not?
If you are rich you are at risk [of catching COVID-19], if you are
poor, no, the poor are immune, "Barbosa Huerta stressed at a press
conference.
The
Puebla president emphasized that the majority of cases of the COVID-19
coronavirus are from people who traveled or associated with these trips.
This same Wednesday it was reported that there are 38 positive cases
for coronavirus COVID-19 in the entity, in addition to 158 tests have
been applied.
Eight
of the infected people are hospitalized, while 28 cases are imported,
seven associated with import, one asymptomatic and two people with
community transmission, according to the head of the Ministry of Health,
Jorge Humberto Uribe Téllez.
The state official explained that most of the cases occurred in the
state capital, but there are also positive records in Puebla capital,
San Andrés Cholula, Teziutlán, Huejotzingo, Tlapanalá and Chalchicomula
de Sesma, so the municipalities must adopt the measures of protection.
The governor mentioned that in the face of the spread of the virus, the
administration is preparing to grant support for people's subsistence
and even attends to 20 people in need daily after suspending "Citizen
Tuesday".
"I will continue [serving people] until I get coronavirus and many
people have already come to see me to ask for solidarity help, that is
the part that comes to us and from which we are preparing to respond,"
said Barbosa Huerta.
For this reason, he called on the employers to show solidarity and send
their quarantined workers with the corresponding payments.
Likewise, the president of Puebla also announced that the State
Administration will supply water pipes so that people living in the
neighborhoods where the supply fails, adopt hygiene measures."
~~~~~
Well, water is a big plus. And slowly, the Federal Government ( and AMLO finally by gosh) is coming around after non-stop pressure from the intellectuals. Even CNN reports:" Mexico's federal government has also ramped up preventative measures.
Beginning what it calls phase 2 of its crisis response, the government
has shuttered schools, closed nonessential federal offices and
encouraged people to say home and socially distance. A nightly press
conference by the Ministry of Health has also been established to update
the public on the status of the outbreak." But truly, what can be worse than this:
As of Thursday, 12:38pm, the month of March is showing 125 executed in Tijuana with a YTD total in Tijuana of 438 dead. I'll be back with information on the situation in Ensenada, my eyes are giving out.
"Baja
California already has 20 cases confirmed by COVID-19, 10 in Tijuana
and 10 in Mexicali, announced Alonso Pérez Rico, head of the Ministry of
Health, on the morning of Thursday, March 26.
The official emphasized the population density of Mexicali, because
despite the fact that it has the same number of infected people, its
population is smaller, so he insisted on distancing himself.
Of the 20 infected people, 15 have comorbidities, 5 have smoking, 4
have obesity, 2 have diabetes, 2 HIV / AIDS, 1 asthma and one more
immunosuppression.
So far there are 280 cases studied, of which 141 are negative, and 119 are still awaiting results.
Of
those 119, 53 are in Tijuana, 43 in Mexicali, 16 in Ensenada, 4 in
Tecate, 1 in Rosarito and 2 more in Vicente Guerrero / San Quintín.
During the live broadcast, Jaime Bonilla, state governor, reported that
three members of his cabinet are under observation, and are in
isolation on suspicion of coronavirus, but did not specify who they
were.
Pérez Rico emphasized social distancing to mitigate community
dispersion, in addition to the closure of gyms, bars, churches, as well
as funerals with controlled measures and restaurants with take-out and
home delivery services."
" The Ministry of Health (SSa) of the Federal Government reported only 8 deaths this Thursday, March 26.
In addition, it reported 110 new cases of coronavirus COVID-19 in
Mexico, with which, according to official figures, they would add 585
infected in total by said disease, until now.
At a press conference from the National Palace, the Federal SSa
reported that 2,965 suspects had been discarded and 2,156 are still
under observation as suspects.
Also, that only 10 percent of patients have required hospitalization
and the remaining 10 have been treated on an outpatient basis.
Likewise, it was indicated that there are 8 deaths so far from the
virus, three in Mexico City, one in Durango, two in Jalisco, one in San
Luis Potosí and one more in Quintana Roo. However, the federal authorities did not report the new deaths in the State of Mexico and in Michoacán. In addition, the Federal SSa indicated that of the total cases, 58 percent are men and 42 percent women. While the median infection of the coronavirus COVID-19 is 41 years old."
~~~~~
Over and out for now, I hope I don't have another scary nightmare. Stay safe everyone.
" Around two weeks ago, when the first wave of closures — the schools, the
ballgames, the bars — began to roll across the country, a clock began
ticking in my head. How long will it be, I wondered, before some rich person goes on TV and starts quacking about “getting the country going again” because they’re losing money?
Flash-forward to this past Sunday morning, and wouldn’t you know it,
some self-satisfied capitalist was on one of the cable networks arguing
that “low-risk,” low-wage workers (who are the economy even as they seldom benefit from the economy) should go back to work and just let the virus “burn through” their ranks.
He labeled them “low risk” because the workers he referred to are
younger and allegedly less likely to fall deeply ill if infected, but new data
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that
about 40 percent of COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization are
between 20 and 54 years old. That is not a small number of patients.
Under vastly different circumstances, perhaps it would have been
possible to argue for a different path of action than dramatic
physical-distancing measures, following from the idea that to develop a
herd immunity to COVID-19, a certain number of people have to contract
it and recover (assuming we are even capable of developing an immunity,
which is not yet confirmed). To even countenance this idea, however, we
would need a robust and fully functional health care system to aid in
the recovery process.
In point of fact, the U.S. health care system lags far behind much of
the developed world. Even countries with strong systems, such as
Germany, are at risk of being subsumed by COVID-19 for the same reason
the U.S. system is perhaps days away
from collapse: The for-profit commodification of health care itself has
thoroughly denuded the ability of those systems to react to this
crisis.
“Germany is home to one of the most modern, richest and most powerful health-care systems in the world,” reportsDer Spiegel.
“The coronavirus is mercilessly exposing the problems that have been
burdening the German health-care system for years: the pitfalls of
profit-driven hospital financing. The pressure to cut spending. The
chronic shortage of nursing staff. The often poor equipping of public
health departments. The lag in digitalization.”
Yet the absence of a health care infrastructure capable of absorbing and
treating thousands of patients — even “low-risk” ones — did not stop
Captain Capitalist from going on TV and suggesting that maybe it’s about
time workers started feeding the beast again. The machine is groaning
for lack of lubrication, see. Can’t shut it down and be kind to each
other, share our vast yet vastly imbalanced resources, and simply be for awhile until this thing runs its course, saving lives every step of the way. There’s no money in it.
On Sunday night, in yet another Twitter rant, Donald Trump indicated he may be edging toward ignoring the advice of the experts and lift the social distancing strictures intended to thwart the spread of COVID-19:
WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM
ITSELF. AT THE END OF THE 15 DAY PERIOD, WE WILL MAKE A DECISION AS TO
WHICH WAY WE WANT TO GO!
There’s money to be made elsewhere, to be sure. “Over the past few
weeks, investment bankers have been candid on investor calls and during
health care conferences about the opportunity to raise drug prices,” reports Lee Fang for The Intercept.
As media outlets focus on individuals hoarding toilet paper and hand
sanitizer, the real money hoarders are leaning into this
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to peel massive profit from a desperate
land.
Partnership for America’s Health Care Future (PAHCF), a major health
care industry lobbying group that is stoutly opposed to Medicare for
All, launched a multimillion-dollar ad campaign last week to push back against any effort to fix our broken for-profit system. This comes on the heels of insurance industry efforts against waiving costs for COVID-19 treatments.
Meanwhile, mayors and governors are screaming at Trump to use the Defense Production Act,
a law that allows the president to essentially nationalize privately
held portions of the means of production in order to churn out needed
materials. Those mayors and governors need ventilators, masks and
coronavirus test kits. They needed them a month ago. Trump has invoked
the law, but he steadfastly refuses to actually use it.
Why? Because we have reached the apotheosis of Ronald Reagan’s most rancid gift
to the nation: “Government is the problem.” This pestiferous ethos,
voiced during Reagan’s first inaugural address, has become holy
Republican writ over the course of the last 40 years.
Now, in Trump, it has its greatest champion. Trump is refusing to let
government influence business, even in this moment of life-and-death
crisis, because the advisers who have his ear worship at the altar of
Reagan. For them, right-wing ideology and the profit margin are more
important than your life, or mine.
Of course, there is also an angle to be played. “In declining to
actually make use of the Korean War-era production act that he invoked
last week,” reportsThe New York Times,
“Mr. Trump is also avoiding taking personal responsibility for how fast
the acute shortages of personal protective gear and lifesaving
equipment are addressed.”
And then there is the currently stalled $1.8 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, which hit the reef
in Congress over the weekend. Democrats are balking at the Senate GOP’s
version of the bill because it is far too top-heavy with financial
assistance to corporations and lacks sufficient assistance for working
families.
The main sticking point, however, is a $500 billion slush fund included
in the bill, which was originally a $208 billion slush fund until the
lobbyists dogpiled the process. This money would be disbursed by
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, presumably at the behest of Trump,
with no oversight.
“The Treasury Department would have broad discretion over where the money would go,” reportsThe Washington Post.
“President Trump already has said he wants the money to be used to
rescue the cruise ship and hotel industries, making his preferences
clear, but at a press conference on Sunday refused to say whether his
own hotel properties would apply for the funding."
Natch. These fellows never, ever, ever miss an opportunity to loot the till.
And therein lies the rub. The priority of the people (for the most part)
is to stay safe, to get well if they fall ill, and to do what must be
done to eventually return to some semblance of a normal life. The
priority of the capitalists is to get the money machine going again, to
take full advantage of the crisis in the name of profit, and to defend
their well-staked financial turf from any reforms that may be proposed
in the aftermath.
U.S.-style capitalism is also a virus, and it has infected every aspect
of this situation. Worker safety, insurance coverage and costs, medical
preparedness, and vital supplies — even the bill intended to rescue the
country from some final financial calamity: All have been perverted and
disrupted by the profit motive that never, ever, ever sleeps."
