Argentina border closure extended for another month

By Bala Chambers

LONDON (AA) - Argentine government has extended the closure of its borders for a month until Feb. 28 in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 transmission in the country.

Non-resident foreigners may not enter the country, unless they receive a special dispensation.

In a decree signed by Cabinet Chief Santiago Cafiero and Interior Minister Eduardo de Pedro and Health Minister Gines Gonzalez Garcia on Saturday, the measure will prevent the entry of non-resident foreigners through ports, airports, international border crossings and other access points.

Argentina, with a population close to 45 million, has registered nearly more than 1.9 million COVID-19 cases and over 47,000 deaths, according to data from the US-based Johns Hopkins University.

The country has relied on Russia's Sputnik V vaccine having had three consignments from Moscow. In the first two shipments they received 300,000 and on Thursday in the third shipment they received 220,000 doses.

Argentina has been prioritizing the vaccination for front-line health professionals as it distributes vaccines across the country and recently approved Sputnik V for use in people over 60 years old, after earlier approving it for younger age groups.

According to local reports, the Argentine deliveries fall short of the 5 million doses they had expected to receive by the end of January.

Including deals with Russia's Gamaleya laboratory which produces the Sputnik V vaccine, Argentina is set to receive further doses from the UN's Covax distribution project, as well as agreeing vaccine deals with both AstraZeneca and Oxford University.

Last Wednesday both the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and the Gamaleya laboratory, which manage the Sputnik V distribution, said that there may be 3-week delays of supplies to South America, as they seek to increase production.