Argentine President Alberto Fernandez announced on Friday a tightening of containment measures in Buenos Aires and its periphery from July 1 to 17, faced with the increase in cases of coronavirus.
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“We will again close the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires so that the circulation (of the virus) decreases drastically, to reduce the contagions and the demand for beds” in intensive care, said the head of state in a pre-recorded message broadcast by television channels.
“On July 1, we will ask everyone to isolate themselves at home again and not to go out except to get supplies. From July 1 to 17, this will be the case. Only essential services will continue to operate and some industries in certain areas ”, said Mr. Fernandez.
The confinement imposed in the Argentine capital since March 20 had been gradually eased in recent weeks, but the number of new infections continues to increase. In total, the country of 44 million people has registered 52,444 reported cases of Covid-19 and 1,167 illness-related deaths.
According to the head of state, Buenos Aires and its periphery, where 14 million inhabitants live, “contaminates the rest of the country” where activities have resumed at around 80%.
Fernandez reiterated that the long weeks of confinement had “saved lives”, allowing the health system to equip itself.
Fernandez, however, acknowledged that the pandemic “had had very negative consequences” on the economy, already in recession for two years and which should contract by 9.9% in 2020, according to the latest forecasts from the International Monetary Fund.
“The containment is a remedy, the only one we know,” said the president again, ensuring that the effort already made “had not been useless”. “If we hadn’t done what we did, everything would have been more serious,” he added.
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