Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Santa Cruz (Agenzia Fides) – The Archdiocese of Santa Cruz (Bolivia) has canceled all their Masses, except for on Sundays and, in a statement, has asked the people to heed health security measures being promoted by the Center for Emergency Operations (COE) to avoid the spread of the A-H1N1 flu.
In the statement, the Catholic Church has asked the people to cancel or postpone all activities which are not strictly related to worship or liturgy and has suggested that the faithful participate in Sunday Mass via television or radio. In Santa Cruz, the “A” flu has claimed two victims. One was a 6 year-old girl and the other, a 59 year-old man. In both cases, there was a previously existing “base illness” that facilitated the contraction of the virus. As of today, the country has officially confirmed 543 cases, the majority of which have passed the recovery stage. The Director of “Sedes” (the Health Department) of Santa Cruz has called for an intensification of preventative measures, especially for pregnant women and other people at risk for suffering diabetes, obesity, hypertension, asthma, emphysema, and other illnesses of the respiratory system.
The situation has also worsened in Argentina, where the most recent assessments of the Health Department show that there have been 94 lives claimed by the swine flu and 2,928 confirmed cases. The spread of the illness places the country in third place for the highest mortality rate, after the United States (170) and Mexico (121).
In Chile, as well, the number of cases is on the rise with a total of 25 deaths and 9,549 cases. Among those most affected are children and adolescents between 5 and 19. In Peru, the fifth person has died and the number of cases is at 1,621. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 13/7/2009)
