Venezuela president extends virus quarantine

Venezuela President Nicolás Muro announced Sunday he will extend for third consecutive week lockdown restrictions to curb spre of COVID-19 throughout crisis-stricken South American nation. ditional seven-day extension comes after country saw an increase of 70% of infections registered in last seven days, authorities say.

Muro indicated that increase in positive cases is linked to presence in 13 regions of country of new variants of SARS-CoV-2 virus, known as P1 and P2, which has its epicenter in Brazil. Muro also took opportunity to lash out again at Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, blaming him for spre of virus and variant first identified in Brazil, and suggesting variant should be called "Bolsonaro mutant".

In order to reduce spre of virus, from March 21 and at least until April 11, only essential services including around food, health, telecommunications and transportation, will remain open. In Venezuela 1,662 deaths have been confirmed and recorded with more than 166,100 positive confirmed cases, of which 1,786 were registered in last 24 hours, highest since first two cases were detected on March 13, 2020. 

Image Credits: AP