Uruguay closes its borders from December 21 to January 10 due to increase in coronavirus cases

Uruguay will close its borders from December 21 to January 10, Due to the increase in cases and deaths from the coronavirus, President Luis Lacalle Pou announced this Wednesday evening.

“We have taken the decision to suspend entry into the country between December 21 and January 10,” the president said at a press conference.

The only ones that will be able to enter are freight and Uruguayans who have already purchased tickets for these dates. No other exception is contemplated.

After a meeting with his Council of Ministers, Lacalle Pou also confirmed the restrictions and changes in the number of people allowed on buses and shops, as well as thesuspension of public performances, among other preventive measures.

Uruguay had already announced on October 22 the closure of its borders for the summer season, in a decision which This has had an impact on the thousands of Argentinian tourists who typically spend their vacations there..

In fact, this new decision is a hardening of this measure, which will govern during the holidays and the first days of 2021.

Does the October announcement, which for now would apply throughout the rest of the summer, include more exceptions? For example, foreign citizens residing in the country and transitional income for employment, economic, business or judicial purposes.

Among the measures he launched on Wednesday, Lacalle Pou stressed that article 38 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to peaceful assembly, will be regulated.

“This bill will define the concept of agglomeration,” the president said, adding that the idea is that there are no meetings that threaten health and put forward the suggestion, although only as a recommendation, only in homes no more than 10 people gather.

The president appeared at the press conference with the secretary of the presidency, Álvaro Delgado, and the prosecutor, Rodrigo Ferrés.

Other measures taken by the Executive are the reduction to 50% of the capacity of the inter-ministerial (interprovincial) transport that leaves Montevideo, the advancement of vacancies for public administration staff and the cancellation of meetings of sector leaders. public.

In addition, the private sector was urged to facilitate teleworking and it was decided extend shopping center hours so that no agglomeration is generated in these places.

Finally, the president recalled that bars and restaurants may not be open after midnight – a measure that had been adopted on December 1 – and stressed that people will be able to return to the gyms, which will operate at 30% of their capacity.

The Uruguayan government is also considering establishment of fines for those who do not use the mask in the obligatory places, although the president did not add more details.

On the other hand, Lacalle Pou reiterated that if the country manages to have positive figures, it will be “thanks to the behavior of the Uruguayans”, while if the measures go wrong, the government will be held responsible.

Since March 13, when the health emergency was declared due to the first four positives, Uruguay has accumulated 10,893 cases of Covid-19 (including 3,649 active and 44 in intensive care) and adds 102 deceased.

Concern has increased in recent weeks due to the increase in infections and deaths. In fact, on Wednesday the National Ministry of Health reported the detection of 476 infected and four deaths, the highest number of deaths in a single day.

Source agencies