Chile is set to face the worst of the novel coronavirus outbreak in the coming weeks, President Sebastián Piñera said, as a sharp spike in cases and the southern hemisphere winter push its healthcare system to the limit, Reuters reports.

The South American nation surpassed 30,000 confirmed cases of the virus this week amid a sharp spike in infections that has crammed critical care wards at hospitals throughout the capital Santiago, a city of nearly eight million people.

“Over the next few weeks we know that we are going to face the most difficult times and the greatest health challenges in decades in our country,” Pinera said in a televised speech.