Argentina recorded its highest level of Covid-19 infections in the last five months

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In October, the government relaxed most of the sanitary restrictions in force until then.

Argentina reported on Monday 20,263 new cases of Covid-19, the highest in the last five months, bringing the total number of positive cases to 5,480,305, while deaths rose to 117,066 after 31 deaths were reported in the previous 24 hours.

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Argentina is going through a significant increase in the number of cases that intensified in December and has escalated in recent weeks, the figures mark a significant rise from the 7,623 positives reported last Sunday, although the number is usually lower on weekends.

The last time the number exceeded 10,000 cases was last August 12, however, the peak of infections this year occurred last May 27, when 41,080 cases were registered, while the highest number of deaths in a single day was verified last June 22, with 792 deaths.

According to the daily report of the Ministry of Health, there are 5.2 million people who have been infected and have already been discharged, while the number of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of covid-19 who remain in intensive care units was 880 on Monday, growing in recent weeks but still below the record of 7,969 on June 14.

The percentage of bed occupancy in intensive care units for all pathologies is 34.4% at the national level and 36.2% if only Buenos Aires and its periphery are considered.

After months of the favorable epidemiological situation in October, the Argentine government relaxed most of the sanitary restrictions in force until then, including the total opening of borders.

However, the number of cases began to rise again in November.

NEW ANTICOVID MEASURES

In this context, it was announced that, as of January 1, it would be required to have a health pass, certifying complete vaccination schedules against Covid-19, to attend activities considered of “epidemiological risk”, such as massive outdoor or indoor events.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Health cut to four months the minimum interval for applying booster doses of the vaccine to health personnel and people over 60 years of age to reduce hospitalizations and deaths in its 24 jurisdictions.