Uruguay to close its borders over holidays due to COVID-19

He said the hardest hit areas are the capital Montevideo and surrounding areas. On Wednesday the country registered 476 new coronavirus cases, four deaths and - for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic - the virus reached all provinces.

Uruguay will temporarily close its borders next week to non-commercial traffic, and urged citizens to limit holiday gatherings due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. Borders will be closed from Dec. 21 to Jan. 10, except for cargo transportation, the government said late on Wednesday.

Uruguay's lockdown measures largely held the virus at bay during the first months of the pandemic. "The second wave to hit the world is our first wave," President Luis Lacalle Pou said in an evening televised event. "We cannot compromise what has been achieved so far," said Rafael Radi, coordinator of the government's COVID-19 advisory group. He said the hardest hit areas are the capital Montevideo and surrounding areas.

On Wednesday the country registered 476 new coronavirus cases, four deaths and - for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic - the virus reached all provinces. Since March 13, Uruguay has registered 10,893 cases and 102 deaths. Fernando Paganini, a scientist in the advisory group, told a news conference that projections from the current trend showed the country will reach 1,200 new cases a day by the end of the year, putting a strain on the healthcare system.