Argentina’s president enters voluntary isolation amid coronavirus surge
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Argentina’s president Alberto Fernández has gone into voluntary isolation amid growing concerns over a surge of coronavirus infections, including several cases among the country’s political elite.
The decision to quarantine the president – whose popularity is riding high on his no-nonsense response to the pandemic – was taken due to the “significant increase in the circulation of the virus,” presidential doctor Federico Saavedra said in a statement on Wednesday.
Until now, Argentina’s strong coronavirus lockdown, had been a standout success in the containment of the pandemic that is ripping through its South American neighbours Brazil and Chile.
But that may start changing after Argentina’s reported cases more than quadrupled in the last month following the gradual lockdown relaxation that began on 10 May.
The sudden spike in cases has also struck a number of current and former senior politicians, including former Buenos Aires governor María Eugenia Vidal, 46, a presidential hopeful for the 2023 elections for the opposition PRO party.
Argentina’s reported cases have more than quadrupled from only 8,000 on 17 May to some 35,000 cases now, with almost 16,000 of those cases in Buenos Aires City and another 14,000 in the surrounding Greater Buenos Aires area.
The number of nationwide deaths has risen from 373 one month ago to 878 Wednesday.
