LA PAZ, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The number of Bolivian municipalities considered at "high risk" of COVID-19 contagion rose from 24 to 63 out of a total of 339 in two weeks, leading authorities to recommend the strengthening of preventive measures, the Ministry of Health and Sports said Thursday.
Vice Minister of Health System Management Alvaro Terrazas told Xinhua on Thursday that the ministry's Early Warning Index allows authorities to have updated information on the risk of contagion and take precautions to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
"Departmental and municipal governments will need to regulate sports, social and religious activities, as well as transportation, according to established protocols," Terrazas said.
Traditional carnival celebrations in major Bolivian cities have been canceled, the minister noted.
However, he reiterated the Bolivian government's position that productive forces cannot be paralyzed, ruling out the closing of borders or a total lockdown.
On Wednesday, the South American country reported 2,655 COVID-19 infections in one day, a record since the beginning of the pandemic, as well as 42 deaths, for a total of 193,745 confirmed cases and 9,764 deaths. Enditem