The Peruvian Congress announced Monday, December 20 that only deputies and employees who have received at least two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine will be able to access the headquarters in order to limit infections in the face of the arrival of the first cases of the Omicron variant in the country . “Entrance to the facilities of the Congress of the Republic will be reserved for people who have received at least two doses of vaccine”, said a statement posted on Twitter.
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The measure was adopted in accordance with a government regulation that came into effect on December 15, which prevents people without a vaccination schedule from entering public buildings. The Congress is made up of 130 deputies among whom 16 were not vaccinated, according to the Peruvian press, and only 13 received the booster dose while the government on Monday reduced the waiting period for the third dose from five to three months in the face of the increase in the number of cases of the Omicron variant, established at 12.
The Congress announcement follows the Covid-19 infection of left-wing MP Sigrid Bazán, vaccinated with two doses and tested positive on Saturday at the end of a week marked by sessions in Congress in which the mask is mandatory . The Peruvian Congress has indicated that the deputies who do not respect this new measure will have to work remotely.
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In Peru, 74% of the population of 33 million inhabitants is vaccinated with two doses but the appearance of the Omicron variant has triggered alarm bells. The South American country has banned family gatherings and year-end celebrations, and has stepped up the vaccination campaign.
In Peru, the death rate from the pandemic is the highest in the world, with 6,122 deaths per million inhabitants, according to an AFP report based on official figures.