UPDATE - Argentina Extends COVID-19 Quarantine Measures Until April 12 - President

BUENOS AIRES (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th March, 2020) Mandatory quarantine measures that permit citizens to leave their homes only for essential reasons will remain in place in Argentina until April 12, President Alberto Fernandez said in a statement.

"I have decided to extend quarantine until the end of Easter Holy Week. We are prolonging compulsory self-isolation," the president stated on Sunday evening.

The mandatory self-isolation measures were meant to expire on Tuesday, after being imposed by the government on March 20.

Easter Holy Week, one of the most important religious holidays for Roman Catholics, will take place from April 5 to 11.

Quarantine measures in Argentina stipulate that citizens cannot leave their homes except to purchase essential food items or pharmaceutical drugs.

The government has pledged to open criminal cases against people who violate the self-isolation regulations.

Argentina's Health Ministry has reported 820 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the outbreak, with 20 deaths. A total of 75 new cases were reported on Sunday by the ministry.

Meanwhile, the authorities in another Latin American country, Honduras, have extended nationwide curfew for another two weeks until April 12 due to the epidemiological situation. The measure was first introduced on March 12 and was to last until March 29.

The restrictions in Honduras affect the work of supermarkets, gas stations, pharmacies and banks, as they will be open only on specially designated days.

To date, Honduras has registered more than 100 confirmed cases and two fatalities.