Argentina suspends flights from Brazil, Chile and Mexico

Faced with the inexorable advance of the second wave of coronavirus in the region, Argentina suspended flights from Brazil, Chile and Mexico while tightening health controls to discourage Argentines from traveling abroad.

The Alberto Fernández government’s decision was made this Thursday after Chile reinstated quarantine in most of its territory to stop the rise in infections and Brazil exceeded 300,000 deaths from COVID.

The measure, similar to the one adopted in December with flights to and from Great Britain, will take effect from Saturday after its publication a day earlier in the official gazette.

No deadline was specified for resuming flights from the affected countries.

Argentina, with 2.2 million infections and 55,000 deaths, has kept its borders closed for the entry of tourists since March 2020, but Argentines could until now travel abroad without any other requirement than a negative test 72 hours before beginning the return to the country .

To discourage non-essential travel outside the country, the government of Alberto Fernández also ordered this Thursday that Argentines must undergo PCR tests upon arrival at the Ezeiza international airport, the only route of entry, and seven days later, both in charge of passengers, and will have to isolate themselves for 10 days.

In the event that the result of the test upon arrival is positive for COVID, travelers “together with their close contacts” must comply with isolation in the places indicated by national authorities, according to the resolution. The stay in these isolation centers will also be the responsibility of the citizen.

If travelers do not comply with isolation, they are exposed to criminal proceedings for violation of measures against epidemics and disobedience to public authority.