Argentina's Healthy Ministry confirmed on August 2 that the country has surpassed 200,000 COVID-19 cases.

Government officials confirmed that 5,376 more people who tested positive for coronavirus had been registered on Sunday, along with 52 fatalities.

The Health Ministry also said that a total of 1,122 patients with COVID-19 were hospitalized in intensive care units (ICUs) nationwide.

Of the more than 5,000 cases recorded on Sunday, 3,797 were recorded in Buenos Aires Province, with 971 registered in Buenos Aires City.

"Until August 16 we are going to keep things as they are," President Alberto Fernández said in a televised speech, saying officials had decided to halt further liberalisation measures in a bid to protect the health system from being overloaded.

SHOTLIST:

1. Various of Buenos Aires from the air in quarantine
2. Various of temperature controls at train stations in Argentina
3. Various of coronavirus testing at train stations in Argentina
4. Various of people on the streets of Argentina
5. Various of workers with face mask
6. Various of poster on balcony with the phrase "Stay at home"
7. Various of closed shops
8. Various of health workers

STORYLINE:

The Health Ministry confirmed on Sunday night that Argentina has now surpassed 200,000 infections from Covid-19.

In its regular update, government officials confirmed that 5,376 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus had been registered on Sunday, along with 52 fatalities.

A total of 201,919 infections have now been registered since the start of the outbreak of the virus in Argentina, with 3,648 deaths. According to government officials, a total of 89,026 of those who caught the virus have recovered.

The Health Ministry also said that a total of 1,122 patients with Covid-19 were hospitalized in intensive care units (ICUs) nationwide, with bed occupancy reaching 55.5 percent across the country and 65.2 percent in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area (AMBA).

Of the more than 5,000 cases recorded on Sunday, 3,797 were recorded in Buenos Aires Province, with 971 registered in Buenos Aires City.

The AMBA region is by far the most affected part of the country - 121,956 cases have been reported in Buenos Aires Province, the nation's most populous, with 61,647 in the nation's capital.

On Friday, President Alberto Fernández said that the government would extend the current phrase of its mandatory lockdown in the AMBA region until August 16, after Argentina witnessed its worst week of the coronavirus pandemic to date.

"Until August 16 we are going to keep things as they are," Fernández said in a televised speech, saying officials had decided to halt further liberalization measures in a bid to protect the health system from being overloaded.

"In the past days it can be noted that the virus is circulating more and more infections are detected. All this generates hospitalizations and unfortunately deaths," said Fernandez.