Chile eases measures and provides for the early opening of casinos

The changes are announced at a time when the disease seems to subside, showing more favorable indicators in the number of infections, active patients and occupation of intensive care beds, among others, although with latent fear of the recent entry into the country of the highly contagious delta variant.

According to the government, this program, which will take effect on July 15, is the result of meetings with scientific and civil society organizations and specialists involved in the fight against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

As part of the changes, the authorities give a central importance to the Mobility Pass, accessible to people who have already been vaccinated, and allowing them greater mobility and the possibility of attending public places in open and closed spaces.

However, they warned that it will continue to be vital to maintain self-care measures, such as the mandatory use of a mask, hand washing, physical distancing and constant ventilation of closed spaces.

The Ministry of Health implemented a National Unit for Border Sanitary Control and Inspection of Travelers to reinforce border control.

Meanwhile, the curfew, in force since the beginning of the pandemic, will define its schedules regionally, and to shorten it it will require that a territory have at least 80 percent of its population fully vaccinated and less than 150 active cases.

A relevant issue due to the controversy it arouses, is the return to face-to-face classes, which by the new plan will be authorized even in the quarantined communes (municipalities) but on a voluntary basis.

According to the authorities, this is due to the evidence of the educational prayer and impact on the well-being of children and adolescents.

In phase 2 of the Plan (the one that follows the quarantine), an increase in capacity is expected in private meetings with people who have mobility passes, and restaurants, casinos and gyms may open in open and closed spaces, also depending on the aforementioned happens.

In presenting the plan, together with part of his cabinet, President Sebastián Piñera said that these adjustments respond to "the new realities" of the pandemic and to better reconcile the protection of health and life with greater freedoms.

But he warned that "greater freedom requires greater responsibility" and stressed that the benefits it will represent for those who completed their vaccination process, because they mean less risk.