Argentines flock to beaches despite renewed COVID-19 fears
Reuters footage showed crowded beaches with many people not wearing face masks or observing social distancing guidelines.
Argentina issued a decree on Friday (January 8) empowering provinces to restrict nighttime activities in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus.
As of Thursday (January 7), 1,690,006 cases of coronavirus had been recorded in the country, with 44,122 deaths. Data show that new daily infections more than doubled as Argentina's summer holiday season got going at the end of the year.
Atlantic beaches that run alongside the populous province of Buenos Aires have been among the most crowded in the country. Argentina began an early and strict quarantine in March, which was later made more flexible, in part to help an economy that has been in recession since 2018.
