Argentina sees 621 COVID-19 deaths in one day

BUENOS AIRES -- Argentina on Monday reported 17,277 new cases of COVID-19 and 621 more related deaths in the last 24 hours, raising the accumulated number of infections to 4,552,750 and the pandemic death toll to 96,521 since the onset of the outbreak here in March 2020.

Argentina is focusing on delaying the spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus, after confirming five cases so far.

To that end, the government has limited the number of residents who can enter the country from abroad each day to 600. Points of entry have also been reduced to one: the Ezeiza International Airport located on the southern outskirts of the capital Buenos Aires.

Minister of Tourism and Sports Matias Lammens told the press Monday that Argentina adopted the measure so "there is no community circulation" of the Delta strain.

Limiting entry allows officials "to buy time for the vaccination plan to continue at the accelerated pace it picked up in recent weeks," said the official, adding the measure is not "forever."

The South American country has extended lockdown and social distancing measures until July 9 to control the pandemic.