MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina with a daily record of Covid-19 cases, 3,604

The sharp rise, the first time daily cases topped 3,000, took the total number to 87,030, fivefold the number at the start of June

Argentina posted a daily record of 3,604 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as the country grapples with rising infections that are threatening its early success in stalling the spread of the virus.

The sharp rise, the first time daily cases topped 3,000, took the total number to 87,030, fivefold the number at the start of June, though still well below case loads in hard-hit neighbors Brazil, Chile and Peru.

Argentina's center-left government imposed a strict lockdown in mid-March, which has been loosened in most of the country but was extended and reinforced late last month in and around Buenos Aires, the capital, due to a spike in cases.

Argentina's death toll from the pandemic stands at 1,694.

The impact of the virus has hammered the country's economy, already in recession since 2012 and grappling to solve a painful debt crisis. Economists forecast a 12% economic contraction for 2020.