Argentina to ease Buenos Aires lockdown after nearly four months

Record ID: 1562782

  • Title: Argentina to ease Buenos Aires lockdown after nearly four months
  • Date: 17th July 2020
  • Summary: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (JULY 17, 2020) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF CASA ROSADA, GOVERNMENT PALACE LOCAL WALKING IN SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LOCAL, ALAN JAVIER ROSSINIM SAYING: "Without people you're not going to have much of an economy to keep up. For me the priority is health and then the economy. Without people who is going to keep the economy going?" (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LOCAL, MONICA SACHI, SAYING: "I'm thinking about myself, I think we have to give priority to lives of course. Because we're at the peak of infections. But I also think about those people who need to get money coming into the home. It's a difficult and complicated issue."
  • Embargoed: 31st July 2020 23:18
  • Keywords: Argentina Buenos Aires COVID-19 President Alberto Fernandez coronavirus ease lockdown pandemic quarantine restrictions
  • Location: BUENOS AIRES + OLIVOS, BUENOS AIRES PROVINCE + EZEIZA, ARGENTINA
  • City: BUENOS AIRES + OLIVOS, BUENOS AIRES PROVINCE + EZEIZA, ARGENTINA
  • Country: Argentina
  • Topics: Health/Medicine
  • Reuters ID: LVA007CN74YTJ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Argentina will gradually loosen a lockdown that has lasted nearly four months in and around Buenos Aires, President Alberto Fernandez said on Friday (July 17), after tougher restrictions since the start of July helped slow the spread of new COVID-19 infections.
    Fernandez said the gradual return to normal life will happen in several stages, with the first stage lasting until Aug. 2.
    In capital Buenos Aires, which has been under the tightest restrictions in the country since March 20, shops, hair salons and some professional services will re-open.
    Outdoor recreation activities will also be permitted. Schools will remain closed while officials analyse options for re-opening, said Buenos Aires mayor Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, who joined Fernandez for the announcement from the presidential palace.
    The government had come under pressure to begin reopening after facing criticism from opposition lawmakers and growing protests in the streets of Buenos Aires against the lengthy lockdown.
    Argentina has confirmed 119,301 cases, with 2,178 deaths, according to the latest official data, numbers that are relatively low compared to many of Argentina's South American neighbours.
    On Friday, the South American country reported a record number of infections over 24 hours.
    (Production: Horacio Soria, Miguel Lo Bianco, Juan Bustamante, Claudia Martini, Paul Vieira)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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