Thursday, March 28, 2024
Perfil

ARGENTINA | 13-03-2020 13:13

Fernández leads urgent meeting on Covid-19 with ministers and virus experts

Government officials and experts huddle for talks on crisis as Argentina draws up measures to tackle the virus.

The national government continues with the measures to stop the advance of the coronavirus, the disease that originated in Wuhan, China, and became a global pandemic.

President Alberto Fernández declared a public health emergency for one year in a national broadcast on Thursday evening and this morning, ministers and specialists met at the Casa Rosada to analyse the state of affairs in our country.

The meeting took place from 11am in the Eva Perón Hall and was headed by the head of state himself, government sources informed Perfil, where the committee of experts will present its conclusions to the Inter-Ministerial Committee. Cabinet Chief Santiago Cafiero, Health Minister Ginés González García, representatives from all national portfolios and also renowned epidemiologists and infectious disease experts participated.

Officials were due to hold a press conference afterwards.

This is the latest in a series of huddles on the issue – the previous one was held last Friday, March 6, iatGovernment House. 

Before today's meeting, health authorities met at the Ministry's headquarters with infectious disease specialists and other specialists.

In addition to the national broadcast, the Government has stepped up communication with the nation's provinces this Thursday to keep them informed of all the measures being taken by the national Executive and to unify criteria.

In his short recorded message (just six minutes) to Argentines last night, the pPresident analysed the current situation and provided details of some of the measures included in his health emergency decree 

"We are acting on the recommendations made by the World Health Organisation, the authorities of the most affected countries and our experts and scientific societies," the head of state said.

"We are Argentina. A united country in which each one must commit to the others and all to each one of us, starting with the State," he concluded. "What happens to the other affects us all."

The presidential decree suspends for 30 days flights from the countries and regions most affected by the coronavirus (Europe, United States, South Korea, Japan, China and Iran). The government will also implement measures to facilitate the return of Argentines who have travelled abroad and have not yet returned.

- TIMES/PERFIL

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