The government's daily update on the coronavirus outbreak has confirmed 11 new cases of Covid-19 in Argentina on Saturday – the highest number of incidences recorded in a day since the outbreak began.
There are now 45 confirmed cases of the infectious disease in the country, a press statement said.
"Today 11 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed. They belong to the City of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Chaco, and the Province of Buenos Aires," the statement read, adding that 10 cases came from individuals with a recent history of travel to "risk areas" and that one was a result of coming into close contact with those who already had the virus.
At least two of the new cases are involving individuals from Buenos Aires Province – a 74-year-old and a 45-year-old who had both recently travelled.
Local reports on Saturday also said the national government had contacted the 23 provincial governments and Buenos Aires City administration to begin checks – on a case-by-case basis – to see if Argentines who recently returned from trips abroad were complying with the mandatory "self-quarantine" regulations put in place President Alberto Fernández on Thursday via an emergency decree.
Under the new regulations, Those who have returned from the so-called "affected" countries – namely Europe, the United States, Japan, South Korea, China and Iran – from trips in the last two weeks must self-isolate themselves at home for 14 days, to aid efforts to half the spread of the outbreak.
Checks began on Saturday, through the National Migration Office, in an operation overseen by Interior Minister Eduardo 'Wado' de Pedro, local outlets reported, and involve a check at an individual's home address.
De Pedro confirmed the news, saying "Argentines who returned from Europe, the United States, South Korea, China and Iran and also the foreigners who entered the country from these destinations must comply with the quarantine for 14 days" laid out in the presidential decree. He added, in a post on Twitter, that " competent authorities" would "verify compliance."
verify their compliance,
Foreign visitors to Argentina will also be checked on if possible, he said, saying attempts were underway to locate them.
The checks are part of a move by the government to tighten restrictions and introduce stricter policies to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The government will tighten controls at Argentina's land borders to prevent the entry of foreigners who have previously been in areas of high circulation of the coronavirus, Health Minister Gines González García announced Saturday.
– TIMES/AFP
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