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 of Buenos 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.
