COVID-19 – Paraguay
The quarantine requires everyone to stay home, restricting movement as much as possible. Healthcare workers, public officials, and journalists are exempt. As of May 9, 563 cases and 10 deaths had been reported. According to the 2019 World Development Report (WDR): The Changing Nature of Work,…
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The quarantine requires everyone to stay home, restricting movement as much as possible. Healthcare workers, public officials, and journalists are exempt. As of May 9, 563 cases and 10 deaths had been reported.
According to the 2019 World Development Report (WDR): The Changing Nature of Work , in Paraguay, 7 out of 10 workers are in the informal sector . The study places it among the countries with the highest level of informal employment among upper-middle-income economies.
Garbage collectors, street vendors, sex workers, maintenance workers, public transportation workers, security guards, delivery drivers, gas station attendants, cashiers, and others continue working. There is no quarantine for them, and they are the most exposed to infection.
Discrimination against LGBT people
The coronavirus pandemic exposed a moral and class-based discrimination against LGBT people that already existed in Paraguayan society. Political neglect and the absence of a financial and emotional support system from the state further precariousize their lives, forcing them to work in the informal sector, even during the pandemic.
According to trans human rights activist Yren Rotela, 93% of the trans population is involved in prostitution and most are "unaccounted for" or homeless.
The context of the health emergency reduced the demand for sex services, and at the same time, cases of institutional violence by the police were reported . The Lince Group, a police unit known for arbitrary arrests and human rights violations, is harassing them even more than before and threatening to arrest them. Unable to go out in public, organizations like Casa Diversa, Escalando, and Panambi are appealing for donations to cover the needs of trans people during the emergency, and collecting non-perishable food items for community kitchens.
For donations: Current Account Banco Familiar: 22 2660341 and Tigo Money Transfers: 0984609823).
People living with HIV
The Vencer Foundation, which advocates for the rights of people with STIs, in conjunction with the WHO and the British HIV Association, stated that there is currently no evidence that people with HIV are at greater risk of contracting the coronavirus. The recommendations for the care and prevention of COVID-19 are the same as those for the general population, although they emphasize the fundamental importance of antiretroviral treatment to strengthen the immune system.
In Paraguay, it is estimated that 21,000 people live with HIV, of whom 18,000 have a positive diagnosis, but only 10,000 are linked to the health service (regularly attend consultations and pick up medications).
Currently, there is no shortage of medications; they are available and free. However, many people cannot access them due to other factors: discrimination by healthcare personnel and limitations in mobility (distance, transportation, cost).
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