Uruguay Shuts Border With Argentina Amid Coronavirus Fears - President

Faizan Hashmi Published March 17, 2020 | 01:14 PM

Uruguay has decided to completely close its border with Argentina as a measure to combat the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), Uruguay's President Luis Lacalle Pou said

MONTEVIDEO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th March, 2020) Uruguay has decided to completely close its border with Argentina as a measure to combat the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), Uruguay's President Luis Lacalle Pou said.

"We talked today [Monday] with the authorities of almost the entire region, and with Argentina in particular, we decided to completely close the border, including the river border," Lacalle Pou said at a press conference.

According to the president, air, land and sea borders will be closed at midnight on Tuesday (03:00 GMT) except for the traffic of goods and necessities.

Uruguay's nationals and permanent residents will be allowed to return home.

To date, Uruguay and Argentina have registered 29 and 65 coronavirus cases, respectively.

On March 11, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the new coronavirus a pandemic. More than 180,000 cases in 155 countries and territories have been confirmed. The majority of the patients have recovered, but more than 7,000 others have died.