“It is a cycle that will end in local circulation”

The Minister of Health, Ginés Gonzalez García, affirmed that the rapid expansion that the virus had in Italy “anticipated the presence of cases” in Argentina, where 19 patients and one dead were already confirmed.

“The pandemic does not have to do with severity, but with the spread of a disease,” explained the head of the national health portfolio in the Day of updating and strengthening preventive actions and strategies in the field of measles, dengue and coronavirus, which takes place in Santa Fe.

“We expected an occurrence of the phenomenon a little later,” admitted the official during the first part of the meeting that began this Wednesday in Rosario and will have a second part in Santa Fe, along with Governor Omar Pertotti, legislators and mayors.

He also added that “the incorporation of Italy, a country with serious internal problems, anticipated the presence of cases in Argentina, all imported, but it is a cycle that inexorably will end in local circulation“.

González García assured that “we are working with all the provincial and municipal jurisdictions and also with all sectors”, and remarked that it is a situation that “changes from day to day”.

Mandatory quarantine

The Government announced that this Wednesday the decree by which the “obligatory” to quarantine about 15 days for those who come from countries where the coronavirus circulates.

This was confirmed by a government source, which also indicated that still in the country “there is no indigenous case.”

For the implementation of this measure, which will be signed by President Alberto Fernández, the Legal and Technical Secretariat is working, together with the Head of Cabinet, the Ministries of Health and Justice.

Within the measures that the Government will announce due to the pandemic, sanctions are foreseen within the framework of “crimes against public health”, established in the Penal Code.

This was confirmed by a high government source, referring to article 202 of said code.

On the other hand, the provinces will be asked to avoid doing massive acts, as Catamarca and Río Negro have already done..

The decree that requires a 15-day quarantine for people arriving in Argentina from countries with pandemic circulation, such as China (in the city of Wuhan this new strain originated), South Korea, Japan, Iran, Italy, Spain, France, Germany and the United States.

The official regulations “will come out this same day” and will be incorporated into the Official Gazette, after it is signed by the Head of State, who has been at the Government House since noon.

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