Argentina braces for new COVID wave as cases rise to highest in almost 6 months

BUENOS AIRES: Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Argentina almost doubled on Monday from Friday to 20,263 new infections, according to the country's health ministry, the highest daily tally in almost 6 months as the Omicron variant spreads around the world.

On Friday, the government had registered 11,181 new cases of the virus. While it publishes daily case counts on weekends, those numbers tend to be lower than on weekdays.

Argentina's government has not said how many of the new cases could be tied to the highly transmissible Omicron variant, which also has been detected in most neighboring countries. Paraguay reported its first case on Monday.

The recent spike is still well below Argentina's record day for new infections. On July 1 it reported 41,080 new cases, according to Reuters data.

Still, deaths have not spiked in Argentina, according to the health ministry. The country has vaccinated 70% of its population with two doses and is currently offering booster shots to frontline workers and citizens over 60 years old.

South America in general is the most vaccinated region in the world, following a couple of crushing COVID waves.