Argentina will extend a nighttime curfew to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) beyond its original May 21 deadline, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez said, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
"Restricting circulation is something that I have not wanted, but there is no other way to resolve the issue other than this," state news agency Telam cited Fernandez as telling reporters.
The president, however, ruled out a return to the full lockdown measures of Phase 1, which saw all activity come to a standstill in March 2020, except for essential sectors.
Since April 16, the Argentine government has put in place a series of measures for the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area, home to the federal capital and 40 contiguous municipalities, to try to contain the outbreak, including an 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew, and suspending all indoor recreational, social, cultural, sports and religious activities.
Measures include closing businesses at 7:00 p.m., though restaurants can still offer home delivery after that time.
Between May 11 and 17, the South American nation reported an average of 24,406 new cases of COVID-19 a day.
Argentina registered its first case of COVID-19 on March 3, 2020 and as of Monday accumulated 3,335,965 confirmed cases and 71,027 deaths from the disease.