COVID-19 PULSE Start off with a weekly recap of the main Public Affairs developments across LATAM - Edelman
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COVID-19 PULSE
Start off with a weekly recap of the main Public Affairs
developments across LATAM.
COVID-19 PULSE – PUBLIC AFFAIRS LATAM
Tuesday, February 23 – Monday, March 01, 2021
Argentina
STATS: 2,112,023 cases of COVID-19, 52,077 deceased, as confirmed by the Health Ministry.
[EXECUTIVE POWER] President Alberto [LOCAL MEASURES] The Senate approved the [DIGITAL ECONOMY] The Senate, unanimously,
Fernández inaugurated the 139-regular session new Fiscal Consensus signed by President enacted the bill to increase resources to the
of Congress with a message for the Legislative Alberto Fernández and governors of 21 area of science and technology, from the
Assembly. (Source) provinces, granting ARS 70 billion for economic current 0.28% of the Gross Domestic Product
reactivation, prohibiting the increase the (GDP) to 1% in 2032. (Source)
public debt and suspending judicial processes
for the distribution of the Federal
Coparticipation. (Source)
[COVID RELATED] The Executive Power [FOOD AND BEVERAGE] A report indicated [HEALTH] The Government presented the
extended until March 12 the Social, Preventive that for approximately 13 years prices Public Vaccination Monitor, a registry that can
and Mandatory Distancing (Dispo) due to the increased on average 2350%. The products be accessed online with real-time information
coronavirus pandemic, through decree that increased the most were Yerba Mate on the national immunization operation
125/2021 published in the Official Gazette. 6,378%, Beer 4,139%, Tuna 3,010%, Cola Soda against the coronavirus. (Source)
(Source) 2,889% and Creamy 2,866%. (Source)
[ECONOMY] According to the Monthly [TECHNOLOGY] The Minister of Science, [MANUFACTURING] In January, the
Estimator of Economic Activity (EMAE) Technology and Innovation, Roberto manufacturing industry had an improvement
published by INDEC, the economy fell 10% in Salvarezza, and Defense, Agustín Rossi, signed of almost 8% year-on-year, according to a
2020. (Source) a framework collaboration agreement to measurement by the Ministry of Productive
develop research, development and innovation Development. (Source)
lines and projects. (Source)COVID-19 PULSE – PUBLIC AFFAIRS LATAM
Tuesday, February 23 – Monday, March 01, 2021
Brazil
STATS: 10,647,845 cases of COVID-19, 257,562 deceased, as confirmed by the Health
Ministry
[EXECUTIVE POWER] Sixteen governors [LOCAL MEASURES] The state health [DIGITAL ECONOMY] One in four Federal
countered the president's attacks on measures department will ask the Coronavirus Executive employees ended the year 2020
to combat the pandemic in a letter on Sunday Contingency Center to suspend face-to-face working in a full home office, the same
night, in which they accused the federal classes at schools in São Paulo. (Source) modality adopted by the president of
government of producing distorted information Petrobras, Roberto Castello Branco, accused
and generating misinterpretations. (Source) by President Jair Bolsonaro of being “11
months without working”. (Source)
[COVID RELATED] The president of the Chamber [FOOD AND BEVERAGE] A survey carried out [HEALTH] The National Council of Health
of Deputies, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), confirmed on by the Organic Promotion Association Secretaries (Conass) released this Monday
Tuesday (2) that the plenary will vote on the bill (Organis) points out that there was a 44.5% (1st) an open letter to the Ministry of Health
that facilitates the purchase of vaccines by the increase in organic consumption during the in which it calls for tougher measures to
private sector.(Source) first seven months of the Covid-19 contain the worsening of the Covid-19
pandemic. (Source) pandemic in the country. (Source)
[ECONOMY] The 2020 crisis should confirm [TECHNOLOGY] The CT-Vacinas (Vaccine [MANUFACTURING] The covid-19 pandemic
Brazil's departure from the group of the ten Technology Center) at UFMG (Federal showed a weakness in Brazil: the high
largest economies in the world, as shown by University of Minas Gerais) completed the first dependence on inputs imported from China
another survey by Ibre / FGV. (Source) stage of research on a vaccine against covid- for the production of vaccines and the
19. (Source) scrapping of laboratories and factories used
to produce immunizers in the
country. (Source)COVID-19 PULSE – PUBLIC AFFAIRS LATAM
Tuesday, February 23 – Monday, March 01, 2021
Bolivia
STATS: 249,010 cases of COVID-19, 11,660 deceased, as confirmed by the Health Ministry.
[EXECUTIVE POWER] The Government [LOCAL MEASURES] The Government officially [DIGITAL ECONOMY] The Government
proposed to control 20% of soy production started this Thursday with the mass reported that the National
that reaches poultry farmers. (Source) vaccination process against COVID-19 in the Telecommunications Company (Entel) reduced
city of Santa Cruz. (Source) its profits by more than 430 million bolivianos,
compared to 2018. (Source)
[COVID RELATED] The Minister of Health, [FOOD AND BEVERAGE] The pandemic led [HEALTH] Santa Cruz reported 309 confirmed
Jeyson Auza, confirmed that sub-national many businesses to close or reinvent and the Headquarters says that the situ.
entities and private institutions can purchase themselves. This is the case of bakeries that (Source)
vaccines against COVID-19 and asked defy the economic crisis and in the midst of a
municipal and government authorities not to health emergency, they expand points of sale
politicize the issue. (Source) in the capital of Santa Cruz and supply their
product catalog. (Source)
[ECONOMY] In the first month of the year, [TECHNOLOGY] Technologies known as [MANUFACTURING] The Chamber of
exports reached $ 692.6 million, a figure that is artificial intelligence, cloud, smart devices and Industries pointed out that the future of
$ 79.5 million lower than that registered in the drones are accelerating the digital industry in Bolivia lies in making the
same period of 2020, when it reached $ 772.1 transformation in industries, rural areas, quantitative jump from the current
million. This is a reduction of 10.3% due to livestock and agriculture in neighboring industrialization coefficient from 16% to 25%
negative variations in economic activities. countries in the region, which showed their by 2030, and moving towards industry 4.0 that
(Source) successful experiences in a virtual event strengthens productivity and local value
organized by Huawei. (Source) chains. (Source)COVID-19 PULSE – PUBLIC AFFAIRS LATAM
Tuesday, February 23 – Monday, March 01, 2021
Chile
STATS: 829,770 cases of COVID-19, 20,660 deceased, as confirmed by the Health Ministry.
[EXECUTIVE POWER] Although the [LOCAL MEASURES] Seven municipalities of [DIGITAL ECONOMY] Online shopping was
government considers that the massive the Metropolitan Region will go back this growing in the country, but the pandemic
COVID-19 vaccination process is an week to phase 2 of the Step by Step Plan, that generated an "explosion." According to
opportunity to increase the popularity of is, the people is will remain in quarantine on Euromonitor International, between 2019 and
Sebastián Piñera, a CADEM survey revealed weekends. Meanwhile, three other 2020 alone, e-commerce increased 50%,
that the Chilean President maintained an municipalities will advance to phase 3 while the average spending on online
approval of 24% (Source). (Source). purchases rose 49% in one year (Source).
[COVID RELATED] People with dialysis, with [FOOD AND BEVERAGE] The wine industry [HEALTH] Health Ministry reported that nine
solid organ transplants, cancer patients began to recover after the worst months of provinces of the country decreased its new
undergoing treatment and patients with the pandemic. In 2020 the sector registered a cases of COVID-19 in the last two weeks.
autoimmune diseases, all over 16 years of 0.5% drop in sales and exports, and prices fell Specifically, Tarapacá, Antofagasta, Maule,
age, will be able to get vaccinated from this between 6% - 8%. In 2021, the expectations Ñuble, Los Lagos, Aysén and Magallanes
reduced new infections by 20% (Source).
week with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine of the producers are positive, and they expect
(Source). to grow between 3% - 5% (Source).
[ECONOMY] Along with the start of the [TECHNOLOGY] The pandemic has forced [MANUFACTURING] The pandemic
vaccination process -and despite the companies from different sectors, including significantly affected the construction sector.
outbreaks of COVID-19 in certain provinces- banks, to implement different digital tools to The investment loss in 2020 was US$3,771
the Business Confidence Index (ICE), offer its services through the web. According million, 912 projects were stopped, and
advanced 7 points, to a "slightly optimistic" to the País Digital Foundation, now, any 450,000 direct and indirect jobs were
level. In addition, the prospects for activity company must apply these tools in its terminated. However, by 2021 experts project
and employment in the country improved businesses (Source). that total investment will grow 8.1% (Source).
(Source).COVID-19 PULSE – PUBLIC AFFAIRS LATAM
Tuesday, February 23 – Monday, March 01, 2021
Colombia
STATS: 2,262,646 cases of COVID-19, 60,082 deceased, as confirmed by the Health Ministry.
[EXECUTIVE POWER] President Iván Duque [LOCAL MEASURES] According to the Mayor of [DIGITAL ECONOMY] According to Federico
signed the Temporary Protection Statute for Bogotá, Claudia López, the vaccines assigned Martínez, country manager at Mastercard
Venezuelan migrants. This is the mechanism to Bogotá not even 1% of the population is Colombia, the company's latest study showed
that allows the regularization of this covered. (Source) that 54% of Colombians prefer to buy online,
population. (Source) while 41% reduced their use of cash during the
pandemic. (Source)
[COVID RELATED] 117,00 Pfizer vaccines [FOOD AND BEVERAGE] On March 1st, the [HEALTH] The Government of Colombia
arrived in Colombia. The COVAX mechanism mayors may authorize the consumption of extended the health emergency until May 31.
guaranteed these doses. On March 7th, there alcohol inside restaurants. (Source) (Source)
will arrive 2 million doses from the Chinese
pharmaceutical, Sinovac. (Source)
[ECONOMY] The unemployment rate was [TECHNOLOGY] Mercado Libre will open a new [MANUFACTURING] The economic sectors
17.3% in January. It was 3.9 percentage points technology, innovation, and product center in that show a higher drop in investment are oil (-
higher than the unemployment rate of Medellín. It will be the platform to support 89 %), agriculture (-19 %), manufacturing (-72
December 2020. (Source) innovation in Colombia. (Source) %), public services (-69 %), construction (-100
%), and commerce, restaurants and hotels (.76
%). (Source)COVID-19 PULSE – PUBLIC AFFAIRS LATAM
Tuesday, February 23 – Monday, March 01, 2021
Ecuador
STATS: 289,472 cases of COVID-19, 15,921 deceased, as confirmed by the Health Ministry.
[EXECUTIVE POWER] Lenín Moreno requested [LOCAL MEASURES] Mayors call for [DIGITAL ECONOMY] The DiDi ‘app’ opens
to leave the Alianza País movement, his mobilization in Quito on March 9 due to a lack registration for driver-partners in Ecuador. The
political party. (Source) of payments and other requests. (Source) application will start working in the coming
months, initially in Quito. (Source)
[COVID RELATED] President Lenín Moreno said [FOOD AND BEVERAGE] According to the Vice [HEALTH] Ecuador's Health Minister, Juan Carlos
that the delay in Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine Minister of Agricultural Productive Zevallos, resigned after the scandal over the
arrival is the fault of the company. (Source) Development, peasant family agriculture handling of the COVID-19 vaccination plan. The
should be a strategic pillar of each country. scandal was because relatives of the minister
(Source) were vaccinated irregularly. (Source)
[ECONOMY] 14.9% of the population was in [TECHNOLOGY] In January 2021, there were [MANUFACTURING] In 2020, Ecuador signed 41
extreme poverty in December 2020. It means 11.7 million Internet users. The number of investment contracts for USD 743.03 million.
an increase of 6 percentage points between Internet users increased by 147 thousand (+ Last year, five sectors concentrated the largest
2019 and 2020. (Source) 1.5%) between 2020 and 2021. Internet number of investment contracts signed:
penetration stood at 57.3% in January 2021. manufacturing; tourism; aquaculture;
(Source) Agriculture, forestry and fishing; and
transportation and storage. (Source)COVID-19 PULSE – PUBLIC AFFAIRS LATAM
Tuesday, February 23– Monday, March 01, 2021
Mexico
STATS: 2,089,281 cases of COVID-19; 186,152 deceased, as confirmed by the Health Ministry.
[EXECUTIVE POWER] President Andrés
Manuel López Obrador held his first virtual
[LOCAL MEASURES] In Acapulco, one of the
meeting with American president Joe [DIGITAL ECONOMY] The Digital Economy in the
biggest tourist’s destinations in the country, 268
Biden, addressing issues on migration, country grew amid the pandemic, with ICT
businesses have been closed for not complying
climate change and the bilateral activities increasing 2.1% (Source)
with sanitary protocols. (Source)
cooperation to face the COVID-19
pandemic. (Source)
[COVID RELATED] The undersecretary of
[FOOD AND BEVERAGE] Alsea, brand-owner of
Health, Hugo Lopez Gatell, who has
Starbucks, Domino’s Pizza and Vips in Mexico, [HEALTH] A new shipment of Pfizer vaccines,
become the Government’s key figure in
some of the biggest food chains in the country, composed of 852,150 doses, has arrived to
the pandemic, tested positive for COVID-
had to close 185 stores, leaving over 20,000 Mexico. (Source)
19 and had to be hospitalized for a
people jobless. (Source)
“moderate” case of the illness. (Source)
[MANUFACTURING] The IMEF Manufacturing
[TECHNOLOGY] América Móvil, owned by
[ECONOMY] In January, unemployment Indicator showed that in the second month of
Mexican businessman Carlos Slim, has been
rates rose to 4.7% compared to the same 2021 the manufacturing industry in Mexico
habilitated to exploit the 3.5 GHz network in
period last year, which stated a 3.8% rate contracted 0.3 points and stood at 49.1 units,
Peru, covering 81% of the country’s population.
back then. (Source) which means 21 months of contraction so far.
(Source)
(Source)COVID-19 PULSE – PUBLIC AFFAIRS LATAM
Tuesday, February 23– Monday, March 01, 2021
Paraguay
STATS: 160,448 cases of COVID-19, 3,198 deceased, as confirmed by the Health Ministry.
[EXECUTIVE POWER] The President, Mario [LOCAL MEASURES] The Head of State, Mario [DIGITAL ECONOMY] The Vice Minister of
Abdo Benítez, visited to producers in the town Abdo Benítez, announced a cooperation from Technologies, David Ocampos, assumed his
of Naranjal, Alto Paraná department. As part of Itaipu Binacional to ANDE, consisting of 203 position, who promised to re-promote the
his journey, the president will accompany the million dollars to strengthen the electrical execution of the digital agenda, claiming that it
start of the soybean harvest in the Aché system and reduce power outages.(Source) will have a "great impact" in the country.
indigenous community of Puerto Barra. (Source) (Source)
[COVID RELATED] The Minister of Finance, [FOOD AND BEVERAGE] Entrepreneurs from the [HEALTH] The president, Mario Abdo Benítez,
Oscar Llamosas, affirmed that the resources for Chamber of Food and Beverages of Paraguay inaugurated three Family Health Units (USF) in
the purchase of vaccines via the Covax (CABE) spoke with authorities of the Ministry of the department of Concepción, benefiting
mechanism are assured. They also analyze Industry and Commerce (MIC) about the frontal 15,000 residents of the north of the country.
alternatives to replenish said funds and acquire labeling that Paraguayan foods must have for (Source)
other. (Source) their commercialization according to the rules
of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur).
(Source)
[ECONOMY] February 2021 close with a surplus [TECHNOLOGY] The “Jakarebot” robotics team [MANUFACTURING] In 2020, exports of grains,
of 6% in terms of tax collection, registering for children and adolescents from Encarnación, oilseeds and cereals, and their by-products have
revenues of over one billion guaraníes. (Source) presents a Rocketry Club, with the teaching of come to constitute more than 40% of the
skills to the same segment for the construction country's total exports, of which 33%
of rockets. (Source) correspond to soybeans and its derivatives.
(Source)COVID-19 PULSE – PUBLIC AFFAIRS LATAM
Tuesday, February 23 – Monday, March 01, 2021
Peru
STATS: 1,338,297 cases of COVID-19, 46,894 deceased, as confirmed by the Health Ministry.
[EXECUTIVE POWER] Violeta Bermúdez, [LOCAL MEASURES] The president of the [DIGITAL ECONOMY] The media reported that
president of the Council of Ministers, reported Council of Ministers, Violeta Bermúdez, the beneficiaries with the 600 Bond who need
that the quarantine for extreme-level regions reported that regions that are at moderate to open a digital bank account will have time
would come to an end on February 28. and high risk levels will be able to access the to do so until Wednesday, March 17. (Source)
However, he added that there is mandatory beaches. (Source)
social immobilization from 9 at night to 4 in
the morning. (Source)
[COVID RELATED] The Deputy Minister of [FOOD AND BEVERAGE] The Government [HEALTH] In the middle of the second wave of
Public Health, Percy Minaya, confirmed that announced that restaurants will reopen their coronavirus, the Municipality of Surquillo put
people over 60 years of age and people doors with a reduced capacity of 30% in areas an oxygen plant into operation. Ball recharges
suffering from more than one comorbidity of extreme alert level. (Source) will be free for residents of the district, and for
were included in the first phase of vaccination residents of other districts of Lima, the cost
against COVID-19. will be S / 260 per ball. (Source)
(Source)
[ECONOMY] The Ministry of Foreign Trade and [TECHNOLOGY] The National Elections Jury [MANUFACTURING] Mypes Unidas del Peru
Tourism (Mincetur) announced the next (JNE) opened a Tik Tok account to inform reported that the manufacturing sector had a
opening of applications for the contest of the young people about the 2021 general fall of 25%, which includes micro-companies of
Tourism Emprende program, which will deliver elections, as part of the campaign on social clothing, footwear, printing and the graphic
up to 27 million non-refundable soles. networks “Your vote has power”.(Source) industry, which have had to close their
(Source) activities. In this context, they will ask the
Government for an economic injection to help
them get out of informality and avoid business
closures. Source)COVID-19 PULSE – PUBLIC AFFAIRS LATAM
Tuesday, February 23– Monday, March 01, 2021
Uruguay
STATS: 57,994 cases of COVID-19, 608 deceased, as confirmed by the Health Ministry.
[EXECUTIVE POWER] The Executive evaluated [LOCAL MEASURES] The 192 thousand doses [DIGITAL ECONOMY] This week the Executive
the situation of the pandemic in the Council of of Sinovac for covid-19 arrived that will be Committee of the Colorado Party met to
Ministers and focused on the beginning of the distributed to the vaccinations in different receive two reports, that of Ricardo Pascale
National Vaccination Plan. (Source) cities. (Source) and that of Luis Mosca. In this line, he also
referred to the need to deepen the capacity
for innovation as a result of the
unprecedented acceleration of the digital
economy as a result of the pandemic.(Source)
[COVID RELATED] The immunization campaign [FOOD AND BEVERAGE] Parosmia: "since I had [HEALTH] If Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines
begins this Monday for some 140,000 essential covid-19, food makes me want to vomit." This do not arrive in less than 15 days, MSP will
officials from several areas. (Source) postcovid phenomenon still has no scientific advance on the vaccination plan for health
explanation. (Source) personnel with Coronavac. (Source)
[ECONOMY] The Uruguayan economy will [TECHNOLOGY] The Coronavirus Uy [MANUFACTURING] In the fourth quarter of
have to correct problems that came from application as from this week allows access to 2020, the Physical Volume Index (IVF) of the
before and persist or worsened, said links to know if the person is authorized to industry Manufacturing excluding ANCAP's
economist Pablo Rosselli. (Source) receive the inoculation or not. (Source) refinery registered a growth of 1.8%
with respect to the same period of the
previous year. (Source)You can also read
