City Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta tests positive for Covid-19

Buenos Aires City Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta has confirmed that he has tested positive for Covid-19.

The Juntos por el Cambio leader said in a tweet that he was well and in isolation at his home.

According to sources close to the mayor, he suffered a "slight headache" on Tuesday night and subsequently underwent a Covid-19 test "as a precaution."

On Wednesday, he learnt that he had been infected with the novel coronavirus.

He later confirmed the news in a tweet.

"Yesterday I returned from the Coast, where I spent the weekend with my family. As I had a headache, I decided not to wait and test myself. Today the result was positive. I am well at home," he wrote. "Please continue taking care of ourselves and, at the first [sign of a] symptom or when we return from vacation, let's take the test."

The diagnosis comes during a rise in infections in the capital and other parts of the country. Governments at all levels are discussing the possibility of introducing new Covid-19 restrictions to tackle the spread of the virus in the summer holiday season. Among the measures under discussion is the imposition of a nighttime curfew in select regions across the country.

The City government has, as a result, began calling on citizens to go for Covid-19 tests both before and after they depart the capital for vacation.

As of January 5, Buenos Aires City had recorded a total of 179,045 confirmed cases, of which 150,932 individuals have been classified as "recovered." A total of 5,972 fatalities from the virus have been registered by the City Health Ministry.

Over the last 24 hours, more than 1,400 cases were recorded, along with 11 deaths.

– TIMES/PERFIL