Sequelae of coronavirus

julio 28, 2020

VIRUS IN THE ECONOMY

Montería is the capital of the department of Córdoba, located in the Colombian Caribbean region, known nationally and internationally as "La Perla del Sinú", considered the cattle capital of Colombia, it is divided by the Sinú river, on the left and right banks, cataloged as one of the cities with the highest growth and development in recent years for promoting sustainable development, but unfortunately all this has been overshadowed by the covid-19 pandemic that today affects the world in its different sectors and Montería has not been The exeption.

According to studies carried out by Dean Giovanni Argel Fuentes, from the Faculty of Economic, Legal and Administrative Sciences of the University of Córdoba, a growing inflation of 3.86% and a decrease in the country's gross domestic product (PIB) by -12% and -14%, this only by the end of 2020, as a consequence this would be directly reflected on the economy of the department, and therefore in the city of Montería, which means a considerable increase in food prices and thus also its scarcity, thus affecting local companies and small merchants, who due to the quarantine, and lockdown in the neighborhood, following the security rules iestablished by the government to stop the spread of the covid-19 virus, have been unable to carry out their work activities normally, and this has decreased the local economy and affected the families that depend on it. We know that the level of contagion and the pandemic will not end this year, and very surely it will not be like this in the following 3 years, making a 5 year projection of this problem, we can easily deduce that the sectors most affected will be the economy, education, health and social coexistence, leading the city of Montería to increase its poverty percentage, many families who depend on daily work will go hungry and could die from this situation, these families represent the largest population in the city of Montería and even the Córdoba department.

Montería is a beautiful city that was founded on May 1, 1777 by Don Antonio de la Torre y Miranda, it is divided into 28 townships, 168 sidewalks and 9 Spatial Units of Operation, in addition the urban area is divided into 207 neighborhoods. Montería is basically flat but has some minor elevations. The western part of the city is crossed by the Las Palomas mountain range. To the north it borders the municipality of Cereté, Puerto Escondido and San Pelayo; to the east San Carlos and Planeta Rica; to the south Tierralta and Valencia; to the west the department of Antioquia and the municipalities of Canalete, Puerto Escondido and Los Córdobas.

The city is crossed by numerous canals and streams, the main source of water in Montería is the Sinú River.

The climate of the city of Montería is warm tropical with a dry season and a rainy season throughout the year. The average annual temperature of the city is 28 °C with peaks above 40 °C therefore the average relative humidity is 78%.

Montería is considered an important focus for the cattle and agro-industrial economy of Colombia, it is encouraged by the fertility of the Sinú Valley. The main breeds of cattle that are raised in the Sinu Valley are Cebu, Swiss Brown, Holstein and Romosinuano. In addition, dual-purpose cattle (meat and milk) have been developed.

The main crops are traditional corn, technified corn, cotton, sorghum, manual dry rice, mechanized dry rice, irrigated rice, yucca, plantain and yam.

In conclusion, Montería is an old city with many years of development that has made it one of the most important cities for Colombia in terms of economy and agriculture.

Throughout history, it has been possible to appreciate how the city has grown in infrastructure and in its commerce, but all this has recently been affected by the global pandemic that is currently being experienced, affecting different sectors of industry and the economy has not been the exception.

Therefore, one of the possible solutions to reduce its negative impact on the local economy could be the controlled opening of places of commerce, such as restaurants, market places and shopping centers, also establishing biosecurity measures, for example, use of masks, hand sanitizer gel, latex gloves and also personal distance, all of this for the proper functioning of these areas that are prone to crowding of people, also limiting the number of people who can enter or circulate through these commercial places.

Implement government aid to the most affected community such as street vendors, and small businesses that depend on daily sales so that these people can thus comply with protection measures.