Argentina reports 663 deaths, highest daily number since start of pandemic (May 5)

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Argentina reported on Wednesday, May 5th, 663 new deaths from the coronavirus, the highest daily number since the beginning of the pandemic and bringing the total number of deaths to 65,865.

In addition, in the last 24 hours, the South American country reported 24,079 cases, bringing the total number of positive cases to 3,071,496.

The number of deaths reported today is an increase over the number recorded yesterday, with 412 deaths, and above the peak reached last Thursday, with 561 deaths. In contrast, the number of infections fell compared to the previous day, when 26,238 positive cases were reported.

Argentina registered the daily record of positive cases on April 16, with 29,472 infections.

In the province of Buenos Aires, 10,883 cases were reported on Wednesday. In the capital of Argentina, 2,138 positives were registered, and in the central province of Santa Fe, 2,293 infections were reported.

According to the official report, 2,734,465 patients have already been discharged, while 5,342 people with a confirmed diagnosis of Covid-19 remain in intensive care units.

The occupancy rate of intensive care beds for all types of pathologies is 68.2% at the national level, but 75.9% if only Buenos Aires and its populous periphery are considered.

So far, 11.5 million tests have been carried out in Argentina to detect the virus, of which 67,648 were performed this Wednesday.

For the last month, Argentina has been going through a dizzying increase in the number of cases of Covid-19, with an increasing level of occupation of beds in intensive care units.

Given this scenario, the government of Alberto Fernández has extended, until May 21, greater restrictions in the area of Buenos Aires and its periphery, the most populous area of Argentina and where the highest number of cases of coronavirus are registered.

While facing the onslaught of the second wave of Covid-19, Argentina, with a population of some 45 million inhabitants, continues with its vaccination campaign against the coronavirus, initiated at the end of last December.

According to official data released on Wednesday, 8,533,232 shots have been applied. A total of 7,364,147 people received the first dose of the vaccine, of whom 1,169,085 people have also been inoculated with the second dose.