Argentina recorded a new daily record of Covid-19 confirmed cases and deaths on Wednesday, as the country passed the 2,000 barrier for fatalities.
The Health Ministry announced a new high of 4,250 infections and 82 deaths in 24 hours in its regular evening update. To date, 111,147 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus have been recorded in Argentina since the pandemic began, with 2,050 fatalities registered.
According to government data, 47,298 people have recovered from the virus.
More than 90 percent of infections have been recorded in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA), which includes the capital and the 13 districts that surround it. Approximately 14 million people live in the region.
Of all cases, only one percent (1,085) are now considered imported, with 32.7 percent (36,398) from close contact with confirmed cases, and 50.2 percent a result of community circulation of the virus. The remainder are under investigation to identify the source.
Leaders huddle
The figures were released as President Alberto Fernández, Buenos Aires City Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta and Buenos Aires Province Governor Axel Kicillof met at the Olivos presidential residence to analyse the situation facing the country and whether to relax quarantine measures in and around the capital.
Residents in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area returned to a strict lockdown on July 1 and restrictions are due to expire this weekend. An announcement on the next phase of mandatory social isolation measures is due Friday, tentatively around lunchtime, government sources say.
In most of Argentina’s 23 provinces, circulation of the virus is very low and restrictions have been loosened in most regions, though social distancing measures remain in place.
City government officials are expected to approve the re-opening of shops in Buenos Aires, as well as grant approval for people to leave their homes for exercise. Schools and universities will likely remain closed for the immediate future at least.
Of the 4,250 infections reported on Wednesday, Buenos Aires Province (2,734) again recorded the most, with a total more than double those found in Buenos Aires City (1,220).
Ciudad de Buenos Aires: 1220
So far, Argentina has a rate of 40 deaths per one million inhabitants. Occupation of intensive care beds in the AMBA region is 63.7 percent and 53 percent nationwide, the Health Ministry reported.
150,000 dead in LatAm
Latin America and the Caribbean topped 150,000 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic Wednesday, almost half of which have been recorded in Brazil, a tally by AFP showed.
The region, with 3,540,060 total cases and 151,022 fatalities, is the area second-hardest-hit after Europe, where a total of 203,793 people have died.
– TIMES/AFP/NA
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