国际英语新闻:New lockdowns aim to keep guard up against COVID-19, says Argentine president

BUENOS AIRES, April 9 (Xinhua) -- New lockdown measures took effect in Argentina on Friday to ensure the public continues to keep its guard up against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Argentine President Alberto Fernandez said.

However, "all measures will be insufficient if people do not become aware of the size of the problem," Fernandez told local radio as restrictions aimed to keep people from gathering, especially at night, by closing bars and restaurants early, among other things.

Argentina reported 23,683 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, the highest number recorded in a single day since the onset of the outbreak in March 2020.

The new rules impose a nighttime curfew from midnight to 6 a.m. to oblige people to stay at home, and mandate that bars and restaurants close from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.

According to Fernandez, the measures aim to keep people socially distanced at the moment of greatest social relaxation, which is at night, and when infections occur the most.

In the second half of April, more vaccines will arrive in the country to "speed up the rate of vaccination ... which is what matters most to me, because through vaccination, (COVID-19) becomes a bearable disease for adults, it does not end people's lives, and I am the best example of that," the president said.

Fernandez was reported to have tested positive on April 3, but he said he has had none of the symptoms.

"The antibodies generated by the vaccine were very effective. There is no doubt that the vaccine let me ride out this contagion ... without any symptoms," he said.

Argentina detected its first case of COVID-19 on March 3, 2020 and registered 2,473,751 cases of infection and 57,122 deaths from the disease as of Thursday.