Журнал. World association for medical law. The COVID-19 pandemic. Volume 39 2

273 Medicine and Law On March 11 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 a pandemic as its spread reached more than one hundred countries 6 . The same day, also in accordancewith theWHO 7 , thePeruvianGovernmentissued Supreme Decree No. 008-2020-SA to declare a National Health Emergency 9 for a period of ninety (90) calendar days in response to COVID-19. Thence, the Peruvian Government took progressive measures regarding the Coronavirus. On 12 March 2020, by Vice-Ministerial Resolution No. 079-2020-MINEDU, the start of the new school year was suspended until 29 March. Technical schools, public and private institutes and universities were suspended until 30 March, by Vice-Ministerial Resolution No. 080-2020-MINEDU and Vice-Ministerial Resolution No. 081-2020-MINEDU respectively. On March 13 2020, Supreme Decree No. 008-2020-MTC 10 suspended the arrival/departure of flights from/to Europe and Asia. The same day saw prohibition of any gathering with more than 300 people, in accordance with the Ministerial Resolution No. 297-2020-IN 11 , which mandated public adherence, as long as the Health Emergency remained in force. Nine days after patient zero was confirmed, March 15, Peruvian President Engr. Martin Vizcarra broadcasted a televised message nationwide, calling a State of National Emergency 12 and requiring all citizens to follow “Obligatory Social 6 Can be seen at https://www.who.int/es/news-room/detail/27-04-2020-who-timeline---covid-19 7 According to Article 6(e) of Legislative Decree No. 1156 and Section 5.5 of Article 5 of Supreme Decree No. 007-2014-SA, the statement of pandemic by the World Health Organization constitutes a case of the health emergency. 8 This regulation can be seen at https://cdn.www.gob.pe/uploads/document/file/605928/ DS_008-2020-SA.PDF 9 The Health Emergency is defined by the Article 5 of Legislative Decree No. 1156: “The health emergency is a state of high risk or damage to the health and life of populations, resulting from the existence of situations of outbreaks, epidemics or pandemics. Likewise, a health emergency is when the response capacity of health system operators to reduce the high risk of the existence of an outbreak, epidemic or pandemic or to control it is insufficient at the local, regional or national level.” 10 This regulation can be seen at https://cdn.www.gob.pe/uploads/document/file/565943/ DS_008-2020-MTC.pdf 11 This regulation can be seen at https://busquedas.elperuano.pe/normaslegales/suspenden- otorgamiento-de-garantias-inherentes-al-orden-publ-resolucion-ministerial-n-297-2020- in-1864485-1/ 12 The State of Emergency is regulated in article 137 of the Political Constitution of Peru,