Another coronavirus high: 6,861 new cases in 24 hours

The coronavirus cabinet meets on Wednesday for a second attempt to agree on tightened restrictions after infection reached a new high five days after the start of a national lockdown. The number of new cases soared to 6,861, deaths to 1,309 and seriously ill in need of hospital treatment to 668. The first round of discussions was stalled by an argument among the ministers over the weekly anti-government protests as a major source of spreading contagion.

The Minister of Health Yuli Edelstein ordered the immediate recruitment of paramedics for the hospitals since the rising numbers of coronavirus patients is weighing down heavily on the overworked medical staff.