The authorities in El Salvador on Wednesday closed the country off for 21 days to avert the possibility of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spreading, despite not yet registering a single case
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th March, 2020) The authorities in El Salvador on Wednesday closed the country off for 21 days to avert the possibility of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spreading, despite not yet registering a single case.
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said in a televised address that all foreigners will be banned from entering the Central American nation, while nationals arriving from abroad will have to undergo mandatory tests for infection.
"We have made a tough decision. We'll probably get criticism from some sectors. Maybe we'll lose some popularity points. But most importantly, the Salvadorans' lives which we swore to protect," Bukele said in an address delivered to the nation.
Meanwhile, sporting events, concerts and other mass public events will be canceled for the three week period, the president said.
"We have decided to impose quarantine the entire territory of the country," Bukele said.
The announcement came shortly after neighboring Guatemala, which also has no confirmed cases of infection so far, imposed restrictions on entry from the worst-hit countries earlier on Wednesday.
Central America has collectively confirmed around 50 cases of infection to date, with one coronavirus-related death in Panama.
As of Thursday, most of the new COVID-19 cases and deaths have been confirmed in European countries, which has led the United States to ban all travel to and from the continent.
