Honduras extends blanket curfew again to halt spread of coronavirus

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduras on Sunday extended its blanket curfew for a week, a key measure in its efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The curfew, first imposed in mid-March, has been extended eight times as the government attempts to avoid overwhelming the health system, which struggles to meet the needs of the country's 9.2 million people even in normal times.

The curfew will now be in effect until May 24, a spokesman for the security ministry, Jair Meza, told a national radio and television network.

Honduras has registered 2,646 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 142 deaths so far.

(Reporting by Gustavo Palencia; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)