Peru announces two-week virus lockdown

Peru’s President has announced that the Latin American country is starting the next lockdown. As Bernama says, in its efforts to curb the virus spreading, the government ordered a 15-day shutdown Sunday in nine regions and the capital, Lima.

The Peruvian President Francisco Sagasti said that the nation will keep restrictions for international flights from Europe and the neighbouring Brazil, where more easily spread strains of the covid19 have been detected.

On Tuesday night, the two-week lockdown was announced in metropolitan Lima and the regions of Lima, Callao, Ancash, Pasco, Huanuco, Junin, Huancavelica, Ica, and Apurimac. Those zones will be under restrictions from January 31 to February 14, Sagasti said.

During the two weeks of the shutdown, Peruvians can leave home only to purchase necessities and are urged to work from home. Restaurants will only accommodate takeout orders and non-essential businesses will close.

A curfew will be in effect between 8:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. with restrictions on personal vehicular use on Saturday and Sunday.

According to Johns Hopkins University COVID Resource Center, the Latin American nation has more than 1,093,000 confirmed corona infections and 39,608 deaths so far.