Argentina announced a new nine-day lockdown starting on Saturday to try to contain the COVID-19 pandemic surge, which accounts for nearly 500 deaths each day.

Argentina is among the countries worldwide reporting the most new infections each day, 29,277, and is also ranked among those with the most deaths each day, 492, according to Reuters COVID-19 Global Tracker. Argentina has about 75% of ICU occupancy, and Argentina’s President Alberto Fernández called it “the worst moment in the pandemic”, noted O Globo.

Due to the pandemic worsening, the primary elections (which would take place on 8 August) and general elections (which would take place on October 24) in the country were postponed to September 12 and November 14, respectively, reported Poder 360.