Coronavirus in Argentina: Rodríguez Larreta hesitates to enable recreational departure time for fear of spreading the pandemic

Alberto Fernández commented to Horacio Rodríguez Larreta that he was studying the possibility of enabling one hour of recreation in the face of the extension of the mandatory quarantine, but the head of the Buenosairean government found out by the presidential message recorded in Olivos that “all people would be allowed to make short trips, no more than 500 meters from their home, without using public transport and complying with the recommendations for distance and hygiene,” as explained in the official newsletter that was sent to all journalists accredited at the Casa Rosada.

Rodríguez Larreta has a relationship of mutual respect with Alberto Fernández and they work together to prevent the coronavirus from wiping out the city of Buenos Aires. However, this time, the head of government will distance himself from the president regarding the decision to provide a recreation hour “for all people” before the extension of the confinement until May 10 inclusive.

When Alberto Fernández finished his explanations before the media, Rodríguez Larreta summoned the deputy head of the Buenos Aires government, Diego Santilli, and certain members of his cabinet to Analyze the institutional position that it will assume in the face of the presidential announcements in Olivos.

The meeting was through a video conference that lasted an hour and that served to debate the alternatives that the head of government can apply before the possibility of allowing an hour of relaxation in the streets to avoid the tedium and satiety that implies the mandatory quarantine.

In this context, Rodriguez Larreta has two possibilities: reject Alberto Fernández’s offer by appealing to his institutional powers, or enable sixty minutes of recreation with strict and strict limits.

“Today at noon we will meet again with Horacio (Rodríguez Larreta) and Diego (Santilli) to define the modality of how to adapt the announcement made by the President,” confirmed the Buenos Aires Chief of Staff, Felipe Miguel, to Radio Miter.

“We are going to verify all the details. We have to be rigorous and have legal advice before making a decision ”said the official, who remarked that “quarantine is the most valuable tool we have” to deal with the pandemic.

In this sense, he exemplified that “in matter Recreational, the City of Buenos Aires is the most powerful space to generate human interaction, which is precisely the denote of contagion. “

And he gave to enter that in the current context it would be more convenient loosen restrictions on economic activities before recreational outings. “In 200 km2 we have 200,000 SMEs and this is what worries us,” admitted Felipe Miguel.

The head of government wants to read carefully the provisions of the new Decree of Need and Urgency (DNU) that extends the mandatory quarantine, and then go to the Olivos farm to hold a work meeting with Alberto Fernández.

After his conclave with the president, Rodríguez Larreta will decide what to do regarding the social truce that Alberto Fernández proposed before the confinement that will continue during May. A decision that he intends to announce tomorrow when most of the porteños get ready to spend an hour walking around the block.

The decision will not be easy for the head of government. He believes that quarantine conditions should not yet be softened, and in turn, understands that confinement complicates the psyche and affects family life.

Rodríguez Larreta is closer to option two: enable with strong conditioning.

The head of government was surprised by Alberto Fernández’s announcement. Until last night, the president and Rodríguez Larreta had an open line and he thought he would access the information before the recorded presentation in Olivos will be posted. “There will be no political reproach,” they assured Infobae.

Alberto Fernández developed a good personal relationship with Rodríguez Larreta and He will not object if he decides to limit the 60-minute recess he announced last night in Olivos. The president understands the health and social situation of the City of Buenos Aires and that is why he hesitated a long time before granting that space of distraction to all Buenos Aires residents.

All in all, Rodríguez Larreta will have to face a political situation that surprised him while dining at home. If Alberto Fernández had called him before the formal announcement, He would have had time to explain the fears that underlie his resistance to recess of sixty minutes per day.

From this perspective, a strange paradox is consummated: the fears of the head of government are the same as those of the President: take a false step and have COVID-19 do its work in the City of Buenos Aires as it has already happened in Rome, Madrid and New York.