New virus restrictions come in at Argentina beaches

Bars and restaurants of the most popular Argentine summer resort, Mar del Plata, are set to partially close on Monday, a measure aimed at controlling the spread of COVID-19.

The closures, happening between 1 a.m. to 6 a.m., are taking place when locals are accustomed to gathering with friends.

The Argentine government is working to control gatherings in beach areas, as well as clandestine celebrations popular with young people taking place nonstop over the past several weekends in various parts of the country.

Infection specialists attributed a spike of cases to demonstrations, Christmas and New Year gatherings, clandestine festivals and crowds gathering in the middle of the summer season in different tourist centers of the country.

On Saturday, crowds of young people enjoyed the sun and water by the beachside, with many gathered in close proximity without using face masks.

"We will stay (in spite of any restriction) because we've already paid for everything. What we'd do is to organize clandestine parties, for sure. We'll gather at home, my friends are cool so we'll stay home, drinking booze," said Jeronimo Lopez, 22-year-old student, tourist from Buenos Aires.

The government of the province of Buenos Aires on Saturday suspended commercial, artistic, cultural, social, recreational and sports activities between 1 a.m. and 6 am.

The measures will be applied from 1 a.m. (local time) Monday in the middle of the summer vacation season for places like Mar del Plata, a main tourist destination in Argentina, which relies heavily on beachgoers which boost the local economy during the austral summer.

The quarantine imposed from March to November, one of the longest in the world, left the country's economy, which was already in bad shape, on the brink.

Argentina has recorded more than 1.7 million cases of COVID-19, and more than 44,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.