Football in Argentina will not return any time soon as the country grapples with rising COVID-19 infections, according to health minister Gines Gonzalez.
Organised sport in the South American country has been suspended since mid-March and there has been no indication of when it might resume, reports Xinhua news agency.
"We cannot think about allowing football to be played in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area or anywhere else in the country in the near term," Gonzalez said.
"I see no need to even train right now. I don't know why there is so much restlessness," he added in comments published by the national association for scientific journalism, known as RAdCP.
Argentina has more than 31,500 confirmed coronavirus cases and 833 deaths. The South American country reported a daily record of 1,531 new cases last Saturday, according to the health ministry.
Argentin have been under a strict national lockdown since March 20. In recent weeks, the government has eased some restrictions, allowing Olympic athletes to restart training and permitting citizens to exercise daily during specific times.
First division clubs Talleres de Cordoba and Godoy Cruz last week submitted sanitary protocols for a return to training, however, the government has yet to comment on the proposals.
( With inputs from IANS )