MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Rio Gallegos in complete lockdown, all activities suspended until August 2nd

All economic activities, which are permitted will be limited from 10:00 20:00, plus strict compliance of sanitary protocols approved by the health authorities.

Santa Cruz province in the extreme south of Argentina imposed strict circulation and reunion restrictions plus a suspension of all activities in Rio Gallegos following an outbreak of coronavirus in the provincial capital, according to local media reports.

Decree 861, signed by governor Alicia Kirchner states that the scenario in the provincial capital currently is different from that of the rest of the province “with an exponential registry of Covid 19 positive cases, in 24 hours, which is compelling us to impose urgent measures”.

The measures are different from those in the rest of urban centers in the province which will continue to be ruled by Decree 860/20. Since the beginning of the pandemic Santa Cruz has reported 147 positive cases, of which 142 are located in Rio Gallegos.

“Each positive case is a contagion for ten people, a very negative index”, according to Juan Nadalich, Health minister of the province .

The first measure refers to the circulation of people and will be decided according to the last number of their IDs, with the exception of those involved in jobs or services considered essential or critical.

Likewise all economic, commercial, industrial and services activities, which are permitted will be limited from 10 in the morning to 20 hours in the evening, plus complying strictly with the sanitary protocols approved by the health authorities.

Family and/or social reunions have been suspended for 14 days, as well as all activities in plazas, parks, and pedestrian and lake circuits. Casinos and all sport activities in clubs or gymnasiums in Rio Gallegos have been suspended for fourteen days.

Regarding government offices, companies and corporations belonging to the province as well as education staff, they are dispensed from attending and are invited to remain at home during the next fourteen days.

The decree also extends the two meters social distancing until August 2nd and describes the outbreak in Rio Gallegos as a “cluster” originated in social reunions. The traceability of the different cases and swabbing is underway, concludes the information.

According to the Argentine federal government daily announcement, in the last 24 hours the province of Santa Cruz reported 59 Covid 19 positive cases.