Argentine President Alberto Fernandez and several of his ministers began preventative isolation after coming in close contact with an official infected with coronavirus, the government said in a statement late on Wednesday.

Fernandez tested negative for COVID-19 but will nonetheless remain in isolation, the statement said. His foreign and interior ministers, as well as the minister of women, gender and diversity are still awaiting the results of their respective tests.

The president and his ministers had met with Secretary for Strategic Affairs of the Presidency, Gustavo Beliz, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the day, the statement said.

Argentina has logged 1.27 million cases of the disease and 34,531 deaths. The country's daily infection rate has started to slow in recent weeks, indicating the crisis may have passed its peak.