Due to the surge in new COVID infections, businesses, schools and social activities will be suspended from Saturday to May 31.

Argentina Since this weekend, it has entered a strict lockdown for the third consecutive day. This is the first time this year that more than 35,000 coronavirus infections have been reported for the third consecutive day, and the death toll has soared.

This measure will continue from Saturday to May 31, and will limit circulation and suspend social, business, educational, Religious and sports activities. Workers with basic jobs will be exempted from taking these measures.

President Alberto Fernandez said in a message on national television on Thursday: “We are at the worst moment since the pandemic began.” “We have seen the most cases and deaths. We must take this critical situation seriously and not turn so many tragedies into nature.”

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez said that after May 31, pandemic measures will be restored to their current levels: curfews from 8 pm to 6 am, prohibiting social, entertainment and commercial activities in enclosed spaces . [File: Gabriel Bouys/Pool via Reuters]

At the start of the 2020 pandemic, Argentina implemented one of the longest quarantine measures between March and July, when the country began to relax its quarantine on Africa limit. The negative impact of the blockade on the economy and national sentiment has left the government with little room for action, but the combination of low vaccinations and more contagious variants of the virus has put Argentina’s health sector on the brink of collapse.

On Tuesday, the South American country exceeded its daily record of viral infections and COVID-19 deaths, adding 35,543 new cases and 745 deaths. The infection rate was also high in the following days.

According to data collected by Johns Hopkins University, in total, Argentina has confirmed 3.4 million confirmed coronavirus infections and more than 72,000 deaths.

The number of people in the area surged.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday, Three out of five countries in the world In the Americas, the countries with the most new infections are: Brazil, the United States and Argentina.

However, although the infection rate in the United States is declining, the infection rate in Argentina is on the rise due to significant progress made in its vaccination campaign Inadequate supply The dose.

Argentine nurses took part in a march to protest their working conditions in Buenos Aires, Argentina [File: Matias Baglietto/Reuters]

According to “Our World Data” report, 18% of Argentina’s population has received at least one dose, which is the same as Brazil’s still high infection rate.

Fernandez said that after May 31, pandemic measures will be restored to their current levels: from 8 pm to 6 am, curfews and bans on social, entertainment and commercial activities in enclosed spaces. In addition, the weekend from June 5th to 6th will be strictly restricted.

“It is vital that the authority in each jurisdiction should follow the rules we have set. There is no room for speculation or doubt.” Fernandez said, criticizing the governor for failing to ensure compliance with previously ordered measures.

The President said that economic assistance will be provided to sectors affected by the new restrictions and confirmed that there will be more than 4 million doses of Sputnik V and AstraZeneca in the next few days. vaccine Will arrive.