A woman takes a break at a food court as Chile's health authorities announced a fresh lockdown from Dec 17 after coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases spiked in Santiago, Chile on Dec 9, 2020. (Photo: Agencies)

SANTIAGO - Chilean Health Minister Enrique Paris on Tuesday expressed his concern at holiday shopping crowds at a time when cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are already on the rise.

"We are very concerned to see the images in Santiago and regions of crowds of people who are not maintaining physical distance or the minimum safeguards to avoid infection," Paris said at a press conference.

Over the Christmas and New Year holidays, "we must take care of ourselves the most," he said, adding people should go out "only if it is extremely necessary."

The more than 7 million inhabitants of the capital Santiago and its surroundings are banned from traveling outside of the Metropolitan region.

Chile reported 1,699 new daily COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, for a total of 589,189 confirmed cases, and 20 more deaths from the disease, raising the death toll to 16,217.