Argentina's President Alberto Fernández has brought in new restrictions, with a lockdown that starts today to be in place until at least May 30.

The Copa América is due to start on June 13, and with Colombia this week being removed as co-host because of civil unrest in the country, this latest development raises further questions over whether or not the event can take place.

"The Association has been working together with the national, provincial and municipal authorities since March 20 2020 in the development of health protocols aimed at the care of the football family and society in general, respecting each and every one of the decisions taken by our leaders and by epidemiological experts," the AFA said in a statement.

"That is why, at this time where our beloved country must make an extra effort to control this anguishing pandemic that afflicts us, the AFA and all of us who make up football will once again accompany the national authorities by suspending the programming of matches corresponding to all local competitions for a period of nine days."

However, the restrictions will not impact the final group-stage matches of continental club competitions the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana.

Matches in the competitions due to take place in Argentina will not be suspended as they are under the governance of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL).

CONMEBOL's flagship international event, the Copa América, was already moved from 2020 to 2021 because of the pandemic.

Argentina posted a record high in new daily COVID-19 cases on Wednesday (May 19) with 39,652, a day after the country's daily death toll hit a new high of 744.

To date, there have been more than 3.48 million cases of COVID-19 recorded in Argentina, resulting in the deaths of in excess of 73,000 people.

Latin America has been hit especially hard by the health crisis.