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News > Argentina

Argentina Confirms First Coronavirus Case Imported From Italy

  • Health personnel taking patient sample, 2020.

    Health personnel taking patient sample, 2020. | Photo: Twitter / @Tartagalaldia

Published 3 March 2020
Opinion

In Italy, the European country most affected by the Covid-19 outbreak, the death toll rose to 79 on Tuesday.

Argentina's health authorities Tuesday confirmed that a man who returned to the country from Italy is the first confirmed Covid-19 case in this South American country.

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The patient, who is currently being treated in a private clinic in Buenos Aires, entered the country by air. The authorities confirmed that emergency protocols have been activated in hospitals and at the Ezeiza International Airport in the Province of Buenos Aires.

The Access to Health Secretary Carla Vizzotti explained that Argentina is focusing its contention efforts on the so-called "early consultation", a procedure whereby citizens can report if they suffer from symptoms, which will allow authorities to "delay" the outbreak spread and strengthen controls in areas of entry into the national territory.

Meanwhile, in Italy, the European country most affected by the Covid-19 outbreak, the death toll rose to 79, of whom 27 deaths occurred in the last 24 hours. The deceased patients were aged between 55 and 101 years.

Italian authorities informed that the total number of people infected is 2,263, with Lombardia, Emilia Romagna, and Veneto being the most affected areas. Of those infected, 1,000 patients are at home, 1,034 are hospitalized with symptoms, and 229 are getting intensive care.

"We are looking at the incidence data based on the virus reproduction rate," Italy's Higher Institute of Health president Silvio Brusaferro said.​​​​​​​

In the United Kingdom, where there are 39 Covid-19 confirmed cases, Prime Minister Boris Johnson ​​​​​​​met with medical experts to establish contingency measures that his country will apply in the coming weeks. Among those are the closure of schools and the suspension of massive events, if necessary.

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