The signatory cities to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy in Latin America and the Caribbean continue to implement effective actions in the fight against COVID-19.

Local leaders in the region are taking steps forward and giving firm responses to the global crisis caused by the rapid spread of the coronavirus. Check out initiatives by mayors of Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Colombia to safeguard the health of the entire population that access services and events provided by the municipalities.

General Alvear, Mendoza, Argentina

The city works on several fronts to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Among the measures announced are the extension of the deadline for companies to pay mandatory tariffs, reactivation of public works, to generate new jobs, incentives for small producers, online sales platform, sanitary tunnels and the use of digital thermometers to examine symptoms of disease.

The municipality was also able to continue sustainability actions. The city is currently conducting an instructive communication campaign on separation and composting in homes that responds to a comprehensive waste management program. With the message “Recycling begins at home”, the campaign focuses on the value of each citizen’s active participation in their home, taking into account the context of reduced hours and employees in municipal operations.

 Cordeirópolis, Brazil 

To respond to the economic crisis triggered by the closing of deals during social isolation, the city of Cordeirópolis signed an agreement with the state government of São Paulo to provide 2 million reais in credit lines for merchants in the municipality. The loans will have interest rates of 0.35% per month, and 36 months to repay. Informal traders can apply for credit of up to R$ 3,000. 

The municipality also conducts mass vaccination against the flu for chronic patients such as people who have chronic cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, hypertension, cancer, diabetes, metabolic, liver or neurological diseases and transplant patients.

 Independencia, Chile

The Chilean city hall has established mandatory quarantine for areas of the city, to ensure the supervision of social isolation. The municipality works in actions coordinated by a municipal monitoring committee to accurately analyze the evolution of the virus in the country and to evaluate and implement measures as the outbreak develops. Among the measures is a free school feeding system for all students who need it during the suspension of classes. 

Medellín, Colombia 

The city hall has been on the alert since January this year, when it started implementing a plan against the pandemic. Thanks to the initial actions, more than half of the coronavirus patients in Medellín have recovered, 100 of the 183 confirmed cases. Field investigations and isolation of infected patients allowed the epidemiological dynamics to be different compared to the rest of the country. 

With the Medellín Me Cuida campaign, the municipal administration moves forward in identifying different needs by crossing information and databases to find out the areas with the highest poverty rate and to specify who are the beneficiaries of local assistance. The campaign has already made 130,000 cash donations, with an estimated 120,000 more. A new program is being coordinated for the donation of food to the needy population.

The elderly are also part of the public served by the city. The forecast is that more than 12,000 elderly people in a vulnerable state will receive financial support by June 10 this year.