President Giammattei indicated that the measure will be extended for the next 15 days

Guatemala City, April 17 (RHC)-- The president of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, decreed on Friday a state of prevention throughout the country due to the increase of infections and deaths from coronavirus in recent weeks.

Giammattei said that the restrictions will take effect as of this Saturday and will be extended for the next 15 days.  The measure limits celebrations, demonstrations and shows to 25 percent of capacity, and allows security forces to dissolve any meeting, group or protest.

In addition, the authorities will also have the power to "demand" their "documents" from those "traveling in the territory" and establishes the obligatory use of masks.  Giammattei explained that the country is not being closed and urged "young people" not to go out in order to "take care" of the elderly.

The state of prevention had already been decreed on March 29 in five departments of the country to contain a possible migrant caravan.  According to the most recent bulletin of the Ministry of Health, the Central American country accumulates 7,160 deaths due to Covid-19, including 40 in the last 24 hours.

Authorities reported last week the detection of the Californian variant of Covid-19 in at least seven patients, studied between September 2020 and January 2021.  According to health authorities, the country is in the third wave of the pandemic, with an increase in cases and deaths in recent weeks.