
Several Latin American countries stepped up measures on Thursday to slow the spread of the coronavirus, halting flights to and from Europe, banning public gatherings and closing schools.

Argentina's main stock exchange crashed by nearly 10% on Thursday as markets continued to panic over the coronavirus pandemic. The fall wasn't as bad as Monday's that reached almost 14% but it continued the week's general downward spiral across the region.

Soybean output for Argentina -- the world's third-largest soy producer and exporter -- is forecast to be at 52 million tons, down 4.6% on February estimates and 6% year on year, in 2019-20 crop year (November-October), on dry conditions in Córdoba and Santa Fe, a Buenos Aires Grains Exchange report said on Thursday.

Argentina will revamp as much as US$ 68.8 billion in foreign law bonds as it restructures its debt, the government said in a decree on Tuesday, paving the way for tense negotiations as the country looks to strike a deal with creditors this month.

Argentine risk spreads on Monday shot to levels not seen since 2005 and sovereign bond prices fell 7.5%, as the coronavirus slammed global markets and the cash-strapped country prepared to restructure debt.

Argentina's health ministry announced on Monday five new confirmed cases of coronavirus, taking the total number to 17. All of them were described as imported cases since they involved people who arrived from overseas. They include a patient in Buenos Aires City, two from Chaco province, one from San Luis and the fifth in Patagonia Rio Negro province.

Argentina’s main farm groups will hold a four-day sales strike this week, officials with local growers groups said on Thursday, to protest a tax hike that soy crushing companies warn will cripple investment in the key sector.

A 64-year-old man died in Argentina as a result of the Covid-19, the first such death in Latin America, health authorities announced Saturday. The Ministry of Health said the patient lived in Buenos Aires and had been confirmed with COVID-19 after coming down with a cough, fever and sore throat following a recent trip to Europe.

The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Argentina has risen from two to eight within the past 24 hours, the national Health Ministry said.

Argentina's health officials confirmed the country's second Covid-19 case, a young man currently interned in a private hospital in Buenos Aires. The patient, a 23-year old staff member of a Buenos Aires elected councilor visited the north of Italy and was back on March first, but two days later had a peak of fever and other suspicious symptoms.