Argentina loosens quarantine as it awaits COVID-19 vaccine

President of Argentina Alberto Fernández on Friday announced an end to seven months of the strictest coronavirus lockdown measures in Buenos Aires and a move towards a "stage of social distancing".

Since March the capital and its surrounding suburbs had been under "compulsory social isolation" in order to combat the spread of the virus.

"In the Buenos Aires metropolitan area we opened (the lockdown) little by little, advancing in terms of circulation and social contact and we have had eight consecutive weeks of less (COVID-19) infections," the president said in a pre-recorded message.

More than 15 million people reside in the region, the most populated in Argentina.

The government's latest official coronavirus report states there are 11,100 new cases throughout the country, 33.5% of which are in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires.

The total number of Argentines who have contracted the virus stands at 1.2 million people and 32,766 people who have died from it.

The new rules imply that it will be possible to move about Buenos Aires and its surrounding areas without authorization, although public transport will continue to be restricted to essential workers only.

Fernández clarified that group activities involving "crowds of people in closed places" such as in"theaters, cinemas and concerts in closed places" will continue to be prohibited.

Argentina imposed a strict quarantine on March 20 with just a handful of confirmed cases.

The government has extended it over the months, although with different rules depending on the district and infection rate.

The Peronist president also announced an agreement with Russia for the Sputnik-V vaccine, which is in phase 3 of clinical studies.

Fernández confirmed on Friday he had a telephone dialogue with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to advance the purchase of 20 million doses once the vaccine was fully approved, which is estimated to happen at the end of December.

Since the Russian vaccine requires two doses per person, 20 million would cover 10 million people.