CUSCO, PERU, March 24, 2020.- “A Yucatecan tourist, who was under observation since Monday March 23rd due to coronavirus symptoms, died on Tuesday March 24th, at the Antonio Lorena Contingency Hospital, becoming the first foreigner to die in Cusco victim of this disease”, informed doctor Darío Navarro, head of the Regional Directorate of Health of Cusco.
Peruvian media identify the victim as a 76-year-old Mexican traveler, the same who had been identified and isolated three days ago, when he intended to travel with his wife to the city of Lima.
Mr. Isaías Gabriel Rodríguez y Rivero, who is Yucatecan, traveled with his wife Ethel del Carmen Trujillo Trujillo, who also remains isolated in Peru.
“The tourist was kept under observation. Only on the night of last Monday he did develop complications and was transferred to the Antonio Lorena Contingency Hospital, where he died this morning,” reported Dr. Darío Navarro.
He also reported that the patient had a fairly advanced picture of diabetes, which would have contributed to a worsening of his condition in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital in Cusco.
The remains of the deceased are kept in the Cusco morgue, awaiting cremation as the protocols stipulate in these cases.
This is the first death due to COVID-19 in the Cusco Region, where there are currently seven confirmed cases and 14 ruled out.
As we have reported, last weekend a group of Yucatecans arrived in Merida who were stranded in Peru for several days, due to the Covid-19 contingency.
However, it was reported that an elderly couple was unable to travel with them because the husband “had a cold”.
Although he was not diagnosed with the coronavirus, the Peruvian authorities did not allow the couple to travel.
Both are well-known teachers in Mérida. From the weekend, unsuccessful efforts were made so that they could return to Yucatan, but the closing of borders, and rigorous measures due to Covid-19 did not allow them to return home.
It was reported that even the Mexican embassy in Lima was unable to obtain progress to help them come back home.
By people close to the family it was learned that they had the couple was held in separate rooms.
Apparently, the worsening of the victim’s state of health was very fast, since he was just taken to the hospital the night before, and by the morning he was reported dead.
The Yucatan TimesNewsroom
