Without beaches and with a curfew before twelve, this is how Peru will receive the New Year

Without being able to go to the beach to celebrate and with a curfew from 23 hours to avoid the spread of covid-19. Those are the severe limitations with which Peruvians will receive the New Year this Friday night and that have fallen like a bucket of cold water to a citizenry eager to party and escape in the dramatic closing of 2021.

Since the end of the year festivities in Peru coincide with the beginning of summer, the most widespread tradition in the cities of the coast is to go to the beaches to ring in the new year, which this year it was hoped to be able to do with greater freedom after the spas were closed in 2020 to contain contagion by covid-19.

However, the Peruvian government announced just a few days ago that on December 31 and January 1 it will not be possible to use the beaches, rivers, lakes and public swimming pools to avoid contagion massive and safeguard public health, after the confirmation of 116 cases of the new omicron variant in the country.

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The Minister of Health, Hernando Cevallos, specified that the sale of alcoholic beverages or foods in the rest areas adjacent to the sea, where you can practice some sports on those days.

The mayors of several districts with spas had already anticipated the prohibition imposed by the Executive and, for example, the municipality of La Punta, which has some of the most frequented beaches in the port of Callao, announced that it would close its access on January 1 and 2 because the public had exceeded the allowed capacity on the Christmas weekend.

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In the same way, the beaches on the Green Coast of Lima have considered limited capacity and security with their serenade agents throughout the summer to prevent visitors from breaking the rules or consume drinks and food, which is prohibited.

However, the closure of beaches and outdoor pools has generated anger in some sectors considering that, in this way, meetings in closed places, such as restaurants and bars, are being encouraged. They can attend until 23:00, at which time the curfew begins until 4:00 am the next day.

And the fact is that the authorities have also advanced the curfew, which in recent months hase applied in a residual way between 1 and 4 in the morning but now it was advanced to avoid precisely massive concentrations of people.

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Criticism of this measure has also been constant, for preventing in many cases that families living far apart can spend the end of the year together and also encouraging “behind closed doors” events where more people will remain locked up together for longer, exposing themselves to contagion. (I)