Buenos Aires, Jan 4 (IANS): Argentinean President Alberto Fernandez has expressed concern over the accelerating spike in the number of coronavirus cases across the country and urged citizens, especially young people, to follow preventive measures to curb the pandemic's spread.

"The vaccine will give us, as the months go by, immunity, but in the meantime, we cannot play with fire, because the virus is circulating," Xinhua news agency quoted Fernandez as saying during an event in the town of Chapadmalal on Sunday.

Later in the day, the President told the country's national Telam news agency that "individual responsibility" was necessary and warned that "the pandemic continues to plague the homeland".

"People aren't being careful and those who are most neglected are our young people. I know that for many, going to a dance is nice, playing soccer is nice, everything is nice, unless there is a virus around.

"I want to call on everyone to think; the pandemic is not over," he said.

Between December 31, 2020, and January 2, 2021, the country registered 20,906 new coronavirus cases, as well as 212 fatalities.

As of Monday morning, Argentina's overall Covid-19 caseload and death toll stood at 1,640,718 and 43,482, respectively.

The preventive and mandatory social distancing measures that were mandated by the government to slow the pandemic will last until the end of this month, with authorities concerned over crowded gatherings and clandestine parties.