Coronavirus | Argentina, in total isolation: controls and little circulation on the first day of restrictions

Buses, few cars and with the police on the street. This is how Argentina dawned this Friday, after President Alberto Fernández ordered last night “social, preventive and mandatory isolation” for the entire country as part of the battle against the coronavirus.

As I can see TN, at 7 at the entrance to the Constitution a smaller number of residents circulated than usual. In addition, the authorities asked them to show a work justification to be able to enter the station, according to the exceptions of Decree 297/2020.

It is that public transport works, but in the way that the City had already imposed: you can only travel sitting and the subways stop only at the headwaters, combinations and stations near hospitals.

With the strong measure of isolation, which was agreed with the governors and that will last until March 31, the Government seeks to mitigate the expansion of the pandemic in the national territory.

So far, in the country There are 128 infected people, of whom three died. The numbers are part of a global statistic that keeps the world on alert: since it started in late December 2019, the disease has left more 10,000 fatalities and 240,000 infected around the planet.

Only yesterday, in Argentina, 31 new cases were registered, 15 of them in the province of Buenos Aires, 8 in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, 3 in Córdoba, 2 in Chaco and one in each of the provinces of Tucumán, Santa Fe and Río Negro.

Decree 297/2020

The “social, preventive and compulsory isolation” was established in Decree 297/2020 published in today’s edition of the Official Gazette.

The obligation to remain in the habitual residences and to abstain from attending workplaces, as well as the prohibition to travel along routes, roads and public spaces in order to “prevent the circulation and contagion of the COVID-19 virus“will rule for twelve days, in accordance with the norm, which provides for severe sanctions, contemplated in the Penal Code, for those who violate the restrictions.

“When the existence of an infringement of the fulfillment of social, preventive and compulsory isolation, or other norms established for the protection of public health in the framework of the health emergency, is verified, the offending conduct shall cease immediately and action to the competent authority, within the framework of articles 205, 239 and concordant of the Penal Code “, indicates the text.

The document indicates, in turn, that the measure is adopted “before a unprecedented potential health and social crisis“and with the objective of” protecting public health “, which he defines as” an inalienable obligation of the national State “.

“We are facing an unprecedented potential health and social crisis, and for this it is necessary to take timely, transparent, consensual measures based on the available evidence, in order to mitigate its spread and impact on the health system,” says the Decree. of Necessity and Urgency in their recitals.

The decree establishes that the isolation will be in force “from March 20 to 31, inclusive of the current year, and this period may be extended for the time considered necessary in light of the epidemiological situation.”

In addition, it stipulates that, “those who are complying with the isolation provided in article 1, may only carry out minimum and essential displacements to stock up on cleaning supplies, medicine and food. “

During the term of the isolation, “events cannot be held cultural, recreational, sports, religious, or of any other nature that imply the concurrence of people “and also” the opening of premises, shopping centers, wholesale and retail establishments, and any other place that requires the presence of people is suspended. “

Meanwhile, in its article 6, the DNU lists 24 exceptions to the fulfillment of the isolation for the people affected to the activities and services declared essential in the emergency, and it is specified that “their movements must be limited to the strict compliance with those activities and services”.

Among those exceptions, is -among others- health personnel, of the security forces, the Armed Forces, migratory activity, the National Meteorological Service, firefighters and air traffic control.

Also, superior authorities of the national, provincial, municipal and Autonomous City of Buenos Aires governments, and workers of the national, provincial, municipal and City public sector, summoned to guarantee essential activities required by the respective authorities.

In addition, the personnel of the current justice services, diplomatic and foreign consular personnel, as well as people who must assist others with disabilities are outside the scope of the prescriptions of isolation; family members who need assistance; older people; to boys, girls and adolescents, among other specifications.

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