MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine President extends current covid-19 restrictions but stands out for Freudian slip announcing it

Fernández meant to encourage people to get vaccinated but made a Freudian slip

“Go out and spread it,” said Argentine President Alberto Fernández in what seemed to be a Freudian slip as he announced yet another emergency decree (DNU) stating the new restrictions to be observed until 25, which basically extends those in force until Friday.

Fernández quickly realized what he had said and rephrased it: “Go out and get vaccinated; stay away from contagion.” But it was too late. It was his second gaffe in as many days, following his remarks that Mexicans descend from the Indians, Brazilians descend from their jungle and Argentines stemmed from ships.

The President made the announcement as the country is going through the second wave of the coronavirus crisis. “We are reaching a point where I expected a lawyer to resolve how to continue working on the issue, we will have to wait another week,” said Fernández regarding the parliamentary treatment of a bill to set forth the measures to be taken considering specific epidemiological parameters.

Health Minister Carla Vizzotti -also present at the event- announced the new DNU will be effective as of this Saturday and up until June 25. She also described the current situation as the “most critical moment of its second wave.” She highlighted that the country has already vaccinated “85% of those over 60” and all health care personnel.

Fernández acknowledged that the country is “facing the pandemic with great effort and with much social stress” and that although the Government works “to further accelerate” vaccination, “the virus exists, the virus mutates, the virus complicates the life of mankind.”
Fernández underscored that “we are among the first 15 countries that have already vaccinated their people with at least one dose.”

The sanitary parameters included in the bill classifies the country into four categories, according to the risks: low, medium, high and epidemiological and sanitary alarm.