Chile increases virus restrictions to battle upsurge

Chile’s capital is increasing restrictions on movement as of Friday night to battle an upsurge in COVID-19 cases.

The eight million people in metropolitan Santiago have accounted for more than 80% of the 39,542 confirmed cases in the country of 18 million people.

Cases have almost duplicated over the past week.

There have been nearly 400 deaths in all.

Santiago's largest cemetery has prepared 1,000 new graves amid the latest measures to control the virus.

Raschid Saud, director of the General Cemetery, said he hoped they wouldn't need to be used.

Other cemeteries in the city and other regions are also preparing for an eventual increase in the arrival of bodies.

Chile began its most massive lockdown measure, a total quarantine of over 7 million people in and around the capital on Friday night.

Under the new restrictions, people will have to receive a police permit to leave home - though the online system allows as many as seven per week.

Food markets and pharmacies will remain open and workers in fields such as health, water and energy services are exempt.

Violators can be fined the equivalent of thousands of dollars.

The Ministry of Health said critical care units for COVID-19 at hospitals in the region are at at 90% to 95% capacity.

Hours before the new restrictions were to take effect, highways were crowded with people trying to have the city for the coast in spite of prohibitions on people using second homes to ride out the quarantine.

Long lines formed at supermarkets.

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