MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Harsher measures against covid-19 reach Argentine province of Córdoba

Governor Schiaretti said the measures were taken on sanitary grounds with no underlyingpolitical intentions.

The province of Córdoba, Argentina's second-largest district in terms of surface and third in population, has banned on-site schooling plus social and family gatherings as of this coming Monday as occupancy of intensive care beds mounts.

Córdoba Governor Juan Schiaretti announced that as of Monday all these activities will be banned for two weeks, which will include the upcoming long weekend comprising the June 17 national holiday in addition to Father's Day celebrations on June 20.

A curfew will also be in force between 8 pm and 6 am, something which is already effective in other parts of the country.

“We are going through the most critical moment of the pandemic,” said Schiaretti, arguing that this health situation has to do with “the peak of the second wave of the pandemic” of covid-19.

The Governor underlined that he reached his decision based on recommendations from the province's scientists and health teams.

Face-to-face classes from kindergarten to universities are suspended, while social and family gatherings are banned both in public and private settings.

And the province will now fully adhere to President Alberto Fernández's emergency decree (DNU 334/2021) regarding the movement of people which was mandatory for the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA) but was optional for other districts. A large number of Cordobeses have taken pride since the 2019 presidential elections in their province's not aligning with the federal government and/or Kirchnerism (although Schiaretti is a Peronist) and even joked about the need for “Cordobexit”... up until Friday.

Schiaretti also announced the new measures were taken in consensus with the municipalities and the different actors in society and “never politicizing any measure or entering into controversy with anyone”, and that what was taken into account was the occupancy of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds rapidly approaching 80%.

He also spoke of coronavirus strains more contagious than those last year that is already attacking younger people. “The virus circulates because we circulate,” he said.

He also blamed those who engage in clandestine events, which is where “most infections occur” and that the only way to end the pandemic was vaccination. In this regard, he announced that vaccination spaces will be expanded since the province manages the possibility of buying vaccines to complement those sent by the national government and called on the entire community to register to receive the immunization.

Provincial Health Minister Diego Cardozo said that the announced measures are aimed at “reducing the circulation of people to reduce the transmissibility of the disease” and that the time that the new restrictions last “will depend on the commitment of society to accompany us.”

Among other points, it was determined that the shopping centres will remain closed; the bars and restaurants will be able to work until 7 pm in outdoor spaces and up to four people per table. That same schedule will apply to non-essential businesses.

Individual sports activities such as walking, cycling and running will be allowed.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the province has accumulated 327,138 positive cases, with a daily average of 4,500 cases, and 4,032 deaths.