MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Slight increase in COVID-19 cases in Argentina

Kreplak also explained that COVID-19 and flu vaccines can be taken on the same day

Health authorities in Argentina have reported that the number of fatalities due to COVID-19 has tripled in Buenos Aires, while total infections have almost doubled in a week as temperatures take a downward turn.

The Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA) has reported 6,448 new cases of COVID-19 and 12 deaths last week, which means 86.57% more infections compared to last Monday (3,456) and three times as many casualties (4).

With the new data, the number of infected people rose to 1,028,931, while the number of deaths climbed to 13,065, according to the weekly health situation report released Monday by the Government of Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires Province Health Minister (of which CABA is not a part) Nicolás Kreplak also spoke Monday of a slight to moderate increase in COVID-19 infections “due to the appearance of a new subvariant of Omicron.”

Kreplak said in a radio statement that, for the time being, this did not lead “to an increase in the number of on-call consultations or hospitalizations”.

“Respiratory diseases are especially contagious when the cold weather starts. What we have to do is to wear a mask in closed places and ventilate to avoid air concentration. If we do that, the risk is neutralized,” the minister insisted.

The official also insisted vaccination against COVID-19 was available free of charge throughout the province. He also explained that “almost 90% of the population has [taken] the second dose and almost 50% has [received] the third dose.”

Kreplak also pointed out that “it is important that after four months, the third dose is given because with this Omicron variant - which makes a small mutation with respect to the previous ones - the efficacy that we used to achieve with two doses is now achieved with three.”

The minister explained that under this scenario the authorities had agreed to apply the fourth dose to “people over 50 years of age” after four months of the third dose, which would “raise their defenses again.”

Kreplak also explained that COVID-19 and flu vaccines can be taken on the same day. He also underlined the importance of people in risk groups to complete both their COVID-19 and flu vaccination schemes.