MONTEVIDEO, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou on Thursday raised concern about the spike in new COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, a little over a month after the end of the health emergency.

       "I am concerned," he told journalists from Punta del Este. "The minister of public health has made some non-pharmacological recommendations that must be followed."

       Uruguay reported 5,549 new COVID-19 infections from May 8 to 14, almost double the 2,830 cases of the previous week, according to the latest weekly report from the Ministry of Public Health.

       He added that the health ministry has approved a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccines for some age groups, and called on the population to maintain immunization.

       The South American country has so far accumulated 908,078 COVID-19 cases and 7,215 deaths.