Argentina To Begin Total-Lockdown. Argentina will go into total lockdown for nine days as it grapples with the worst phase yet of the Covid-19 pandemic, President Alberto Fernandez said Thursday.
“We must accept that we are in a critical moment,” Fernandez said as Argentina recorded 35,000 new cases in one day. The pandemic has claimed nearly 73,000 lives in the South American giant.
“We must come together to overcome this catastrophe,” the president added.
Only businesses deemed essential will remain open under the lockdown, which starts Saturday. In-person classes will be suspended, as will social, religious and sporting events.
Out of a population of 45,000 million, so far nearly 8.5 million have received one vaccination, and another 2.2 million are completely inoculated.
Starting on Saturday, most Argentines will be allowed out only from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time, and they will have to stay close to their homes. Schools and non-essential businesses will be closed. Social, religious and sporting events will be banned.
With this circuit breaker lockdown, which will last until May 31, the Argentine government hopes to halt skyrocketing coronavirus infections. There will be another total lockdown on the weekend of June 5 and 6.
“We are living the worst moment since the pandemic began,” President Alberto Fernandez said when he announced the new measure on Thursday. “Today as never before, we must all take care of ourselves to avoid all the losses that we can.”