Argentinian football set to remain in recess until June

BUENOS AIRES -- Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez said Saturday that the country's football competitions - halted since March 17 because of the coronavirus outbreak - are unlikely to resume before June.

Fernandez said health experts had predicted that COVID-19 infections in the South American country would continue rising throughout April and May.

"There are certain activities that will suffer more than others from the quarantine. They include football, cinema, theatre," Fernandez told Radio Mitre.

"Football without spectators would allow for some flexibility. But in May? I don't know. May seems to me to be the worst month because it is when we expect the peak and as such we shouldn't encourage the movement of people."

All football competitions in South America have been in recess since mid-March as a precaution against the coronavirus outbreak, which has claimed the lives of more than 64,000 people worldwide.

On Saturday night, Argentina's health ministry reported 1,451 confirmed cases of the virus so far, 43 of which have been fatal.