The pandemic has hit in different ways. Not only those who have lost people, but those who live the consequences caused by the coronavirus.

In the midst of this situation, two lovers of athletics want to use their sport as motivation to face the passivity that COVID-19 can cause among those directly or indirectly affected. This weekend they will go through the border line of the northern part of the country.

Hoyma Mazara and Freddy Fulgencio, lovers of distance running, have arranged to visit the 32 provinces and in each one take a 10-kilometer course, which they have called 320 Epic Race (Epic Race) RD.

“It is a project that we started with the objective of traveling 10 kilometers in each of the 31 provinces of the country and the National District, explains Mazara. “It is a sports and entertainment activity.”

The motivation for this feat “arises in the pandemic, as a way of leading your normal life and that motivates you to be resistant,” adds Mazara.

It’s about “resilience,” Fulgencio said. “The pandemic made us all lose someone.”

That is why they have wanted to motivate the nation with their athletic walk in different parts of the country. The Eastern provinces and the Northeast area have already been covered completely. For this Saturday they will tour in Dajabón and this Sunday in Montecristi.

After that, only five will remain, they are, with their assigned dates: April 24 in Independencia, 25 in Pedernales, May 1 in Puerto Plata, 8 in Santo Domingo and May 15 in the National District.

The historical

It is not just arriving and running, it is also showing part of the historical areas of each province, which makes the Dominican Republic known, something they do through their Instagram account (@ 320for2020).

“We try to make the tour of the emblematic passages,” says Mazara.

In the different routes they have received support from some people who accompany them to complete the 10 kilometers.

The 320 makes up a number game. The first two numbers represent the 32 zones to be covered. The 20th is for the year 2020, when the pandemic emerged.

The administration of President Joe Biden announced that it will spend $ 1.7 billion to improve its ability to sequence the coronavirus for genetic changes, as new and potentially dangerous variants are about to dominate the pandemic.

The funding comes from a $ 1.9 billion aid package approved last month and will help the United States catch up on genomic surveillance, an area in which it has lagged far behind other advanced countries.

“In early February, US labs were only sequencing about 8,000 Covid-19 strains a week,” said a White House statement, adding that, thanks to an initial investment of $ 200 million, the rate was now 29,000. samples per week.

The new funding includes $ 1 billion to expand federal and state capacity to expand genomic surveillance; $ 400 million to create six state-of-the-art research centers; and $ 300 million to build a national system for sharing and analyzing data.

According to an analysis carried out by the Washington Post In December, the United States was ranked 43rd in the world for its ability to sequence coronavirus cases.

This month, the variant first detected in the UK became the most dominant version of the coronavirus.

Other variants, such as those first found in South Africa and Brazil, which are better able to evade the antibodies produced in response to the original strain, are also feared.

Vaccine manufacturers are currently testing boosters tailored to the variants, which could be available by the end of the year.

That will cause a chaotic match schedule for next month for Hertha, which ranks 15th in the 18-team league and tries to avoid relegation. The Bundesliga only has six games left. The physical conditions will be a problem for the players, who will have to train on their own during the quarantine period.

“These will be six challenging games and this is an extreme situation that none of us have experienced before,” said Hertha sporting director Arne Friedrich.

Berlin health authorities on Thursday ordered the entire club to begin a 14-day quarantine at home after coach Pal Dardai, one of his assistants and two players tested positive for coronavirus. Goalkeeper Rune Jarstein had tested positive earlier this month.

The players and technical staff who tested positive “are doing well, considering the circumstances,” said the club’s general manager, Carsten Schmidt, adding that the team was sending stationary bikes and treadmills to players’ homes so that can follow a training plan.

Given the uncertainty about the new presidential decree, the runners and gym members are already accommodating themselves to the new restrictive schedules.

Undoubtedly, the sector of gyms was one of the most affected last year after the crisis of the coronavirus. The same they had to wait until October to reopen and on the way they left a balance of 1,600 centers that had to lower the blind forever.

“Those of us who were able to survive work with a capacity of 30 percent and we know that it is a transition stage until the virus stops circulating and we can resume our activity fully” declared an employee of the sector.

The new restrictions: what about runners

Beyond gyms, there are other outdoor sports activities that are being a space for many doubts and questions. For example the runners: last year they were harshly criticized for, at one point, mocking the Covid and they were exposed to a political controversy.

The new measures of President Alberto Fernández do not restrict these exercises, but they do limit the hours. Many work from 6, 7 or later and that is why there are already training groups that have chosen to advance the start of activities to return home on time. Thus, what was already quite obvious is established: Gyms and outdoor sports allowed until 20.

The word of the president of Megatlon Fernando Storchi

“We do not frame a social, cultural, recreational or sports activity. We have our own identity and protocols. We complied with them and they worked very well. There are no contagions in gyms. Everyone understood that physical activity is essential for health, because in strict quarantine, people who did not do physical activity gained weight and even had anxiety and sleep problems “ manifested.

What Sebastián Tagle, director of the Club de Corredores, said

“These restrictions are necessary. Between all of us we have to put our shoulders. We cannot say that the runner can go out for a run and the restaurant worker cannot work. We have to wait. I put myself in the shoes of the people who make this decision. It is something that we have to live, “he said.

Comment

BERLIN (AP) – Hertha Berlin’s next three Bundesliga games have been postponed after the entire club was placed in a mandatory quarantine due to a coronavirus outbreak.

The German Football League indicated on Friday that new dates for the games against Mainz on Sunday, Freiburg on April 21 and Schalke on April 24 will be announced soon.

That will cause a chaotic match schedule for next month for Hertha, which ranks 15th in the 18-team league and tries to avoid relegation. The Bundesliga only has six games left. The physical conditions will be a problem for the players, who will have to train on their own during the quarantine period.

“These will be six challenging games and this is an extreme situation that none of us have experienced before,” said Hertha sporting director Arne Friedrich.

Berlin health authorities on Thursday ordered the entire club to begin a 14-day quarantine at home after coach Pal Dardai, one of his assistants and two players tested positive for coronavirus. Goalkeeper Rune Jarstein had tested positive earlier this month.

The players and technical staff who tested positive “are doing well, considering the circumstances,” said the club’s general manager, Carsten Schmidt, adding that the team was sending stationary bikes and treadmills to players’ homes so that can follow a training plan.

Hertha Berlin’s next three games in the Bundesliga have been postponed after the entire club was placed in a mandatory quarantine due to a coronavirus outbreak.

The German Football League indicated on Friday that new dates for Hertha Berlin’s duels against Mainz on Sunday, Freiburg on April 21 and Schalke on April 24 will be announced soon.

That will cause a chaotic match schedule for next month for Hertha, which ranks 15th in the 18-team league and tries to avoid relegation. The Bundesliga only has six games left. The physical conditions will be a problem for the players, who will have to train on their own during the quarantine period.

“These will be six challenging games and this is an extreme situation that none of us have experienced before,” said Hertha sporting director Arne Friedrich.

Berlin health authorities on Thursday ordered the entire club to begin a 14-day quarantine at home after coach Pal Dardai, one of his assistants and two players tested positive for coronavirus. Goalkeeper Rune Jarstein had tested positive earlier this month.

The players and technical staff who tested positive “are doing well, considering the circumstances,” said the club’s general manager, Carsten Schmidt, adding that the team was sending stationary bikes and treadmills to players’ homes so that can follow a training plan.

Since dawn, the new DNU signed by the President, Alberto Fernández, came into force with some adjustments that affect gastronomic and merchants.

From 00 on Friday, the new decree of necessity and urgency that establishes more restrictions to contain the outbreak of Covid-19 in the country entered into force, with some modifications that surprised several of those affected. Then, what measures did the President, Alberto Fernández, establish for the AMBA.

Classes, back to virtuality

Among the main affected will be the students, because the face-to-face classes will be suspended for 15 days and the virtual method will continue again. This measure was one of the ones that generated the most rejection in the people, who during Thursday night crowded at the gates of Quinta de Olivos to protest, the same resource used by citizens of different neighborhoods of the City of Buenos Aires and even Pilar, where circulation on the Panamericana was partially cut off.

Restrictions on shops and prohibited night traffic

Because the circulation it will be completely restricted between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. the next day. In this way, all businesses must close its doors at 19, in order to give your employees time to return to their homes before the control begins. As for the gastronomic, These will only be able to continue working under the delivery modality.

This was not the only restriction for gastronomers, that in addition they will have to open their doors only to serve diners outdoors, leaving the previous measure of capacity up to 30% within the establishments without effect.

Public transport only for essentials, permits to circulate and closed shopping centers

Public transport will also be affected only for essential personnel and those who “must attend for their health care, or have a vaccination shift, with their companions, if applicable”. Obviously, exceptional situations will also be covered, always with the corresponding circulation permits.

As for shopping malls and malls, the restriction will be total and they must remain closed throughout the day. Also, sports, recreational, social, cultural and religious activities are suspended in closed places.

Luis Adolfo Chango, president of Mushuc Runa, nothing was saved in the face of the situation of positive cases of COVID-19 in his team, since, according to tests carried out by the club, they only handle four confirmed cases, but according to the LigaPro medical commission, the infected would amount to nine players.

“We authorize our doctor to carry out other tests in a laboratory in Ambato. There are nine Mushuc Runa players who have tested positive (according to the LigaPro laboratory: Synlab), that’s what the doctor has been telling me; We did tests in the laboratories that we do and only four cases came out.”Said Chango in Sports world.

The manager called for the rule not to suspend matches due to coronavirus infections, approved by the clubs the previous year, to be repealed so that what happened with Aucas does not happen again, which had to appear only with seven players before the canaries, last Monday.

“We have to make the decision as soon as possible so that these matches are suspended. So anyone is a champion. We made the decision not to paralyze the championship, but we cannot thus harm the institutions that have suffered massive infections such as Aucas. We should consider that if there are more than 50% infected in the squad, the game should be suspended, “he said.

‘And there he does not say anything GolTV ni LigaPro’

The leader of the Ambateño team once again made clear his position against LigaPro and GolTV, because it considers that there is no “equality of conditions”.

“And there it does not say anything GolTV nor LigaPro, I don’t know what’s going on, they’re applauding it. Mushuc Runa would play only with substitutes; Aucas played with seven (and lost 3-0 the previous Monday against BSC). For the sake of Ecuadorian football, you must be transparent and do things correctly. God is enlightening BSC: he would have another game that he would win with the rival with fewer players”, He lashed out.

Chango affirms that “he does not see himself alone” in the request that Mushuc Runa play in his stadium located in the Echaleche community when he receives Barcelona SC and Emelec. “I don’t see myself alone. Macará has stated that he does not agree with Mushuc Runa not playing in Echaleche, Esteban Paz has stated it publicly, Nassib Neme still does not have good regard for LigaPro because of what is happening with the LigaPro laboratory ”.

“There are some journalists, radio Caravan, which for them I have authorized to play at the Bellavista stadium. What crown does Barcelona have? You don’t have any crown to say you can’t play in Echaleche! There are some journalists from the Coast who do not see it that way, but rather as fans of a team. My goal is not to destabilize LigaPro, but to create a level playing field. Fourteen teams play in Echaleche, and Miguel Ángel Loor (president of LigaPro) says that the only solution is to put the lights so that Barcelona and Emelec can play there. It’s very easy for him. When there is partiality it is always harmful ”, he declared. (D)

TRÉVERIS, GERMANY, Apr 16. (DPA / EP) –

The Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, announced this Friday an extension of the restrictions in force due to the COVID-19 pandemic until May 15.

Bettel, who has presented a bill that endorses its intention to reopen the country by May 15, whenever the situation allows, has indicated that it is not possible to make clear predictions about the development of the pandemic, despite the fact that there is “some stabilization” in the COVID-19 figures in Luxembourg.

However, some of the limitations regarding sports practice will be alleviated. Specifically, a maximum of ten people may meet to practice sports in gyms and attend dance or yoga classes if they can maintain physical distance and the facilities guarantee at least 10 square meters for each person.

Swimming lessons will also be able to resume in schools and more than ten people will be able to get together to practice music. The Luxembourg Parliament is expected to vote on the bill next Friday.

In Luxembourg, restaurants have been allowed to serve customers outdoors from April 7 and this reopening has had no effect on the contagion figures, said the Government, which maintains other restrictions in force, such as a curfew between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

Infection rates in Luxembourg have recently decreased. This week, the incidence has averaged 202 per 100,000 inhabitants, while last week it reached 247 infections. So far, the country’s health authorities have found more than 64,000 infected people, including 785 fatalities from the disease.