Peru announces prison and fines for omitting quarantine, coronavirus deaths rise to 16

LIMA, Mar 28 (Reuters) – Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra said Saturday that there will be prison and fines for those who fail to quarantine in the fight against the coronavirus, which claimed five new victims to raise the death toll to 16 from the disease. in the country.

Vizcarra said that a high number of police detainees continue to be registered, whose interventions for violating the regulations amount to more than 26,000, mainly in northern Peru, which has 671 confirmed cases of the virus.

“We attract the attention of all citizens. Think twice (if you leave home) because it will represent a criminal process,” said Vizcarra. “His irresponsibility will not go unpunished,” added the president in his daily press conference.

The invocation of the President occurs at a time when Congress approved a “police protection law” and exempts the police and the armed forces from criminal responsibility, who, in carrying out their control functions and in use of their weapons, cause injury or death.

“There have been very particular cases that may have been described as an excess, (but) it has been a very professional job,” Vizcarra said of the actions of the security forces.

The government recently extended the state of emergency and the night curfew for another two weeks until April 12, ordering the armed forces and the police to veto the measure, which the country had not seen since the end of the last century when Peru was fighting against leftist insurgents.

Vizcarra also stated that he will launch a program to distribute a food package to 2.5 million poor families, which will be done “house by house.” The plan is in addition to the delivery of cash to some 3.5 million households.

The president also said that the Government of China, the country where the virus broke out, has offered support to Peru to face the disease, and that it is coordinating with governments in the region on the joint purchase of equipment and sanitary supplies.

(Report by Marco Aquino / Edited by Gabriel Burin)