Argentina on Friday announced a three-week extension of anti-coronavirus measures that include cancellation of in-person public school classes and an 8 p.m. curfew for social activities in response to a deadly second wave of infections.
The country has confirmed 2,954,943 cases of the virus with a total 63,508 deaths, as infection rates spike.
"The epidemiological situation in the metropolitan area ofBuenos Aires is critical and we have other areas with high health concerns," said center-left President Alberto Fernandez in a recorded message for the media.
"We must make a new effort to lower circulation, reduce infections and thus decompress our health system as much as possible," he added.
A few months before the mid-term elections in October, Fernandez faces criticism for the strict lockdown he applied in 2020 and for the slow progress of vaccination against COVID-19. The economy has been in recession since 2018.
Tension has risen between national and Buenos Aires city authorities over the cancellation of in-person school classes.
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