Peru begins a 15-day lockdown Sunday in nine regions and the capital, Lima, to curb a second surge in COVID-19 cases.
On Tuesday night, President Francisco Sagasti announced that metropolitan Lima and the regions of Lima, Callao, Ancash, Pasco, Huanuco, Junin, Huancavelica, Ica, and Apurimac will be under restrictions from January 31 to February 14.
During the lockdown, people can leave home only to purchase necessities and are urged to work from home. Restaurants will only accommodate takeout orders and non-essential businesses will close.
A curfew will be in effect between 8:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. with restrictions on personal vehicular use on Saturday and Sunday.
President Sagasti says Peru will keep restrictions for international flights from Europe, as well as Brazil, where more easily spread strains of the virus have been detected.
So far, Peru has more than 1,093,000 confirmed COVID-19 infections and 39,608 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University COVID Resource Center.
