Coronavirus: Chile has announced that it is closing its borders …

The Chilean government announced on Thursday that it will close the country’s borders for 30 days, restrict foreign travel for Chileans and foreigners residing in the country, and ban the entry of non-resident aliens.

Sebastián Piñera’s management announced their decision the same day to report the highest number of daily infections, a record 7,830 new cases and 193 deaths in the past 24 hours. Chile already registers more than a million people infected with the coronavirus.

“The country’s borders are closed for the entire month of April,” said Under Secretary for Crime Prevention Katherine Martorell. The measure begins to take effect next Monday.

Only people can leave Chile for reasons “fundamental to the country, because it is a humanitarian measure, because it is essential for health, or because the person who leaves does not return” , explained Martorell.

Thus, from next Monday, non-resident foreigners will not be able to enter Chile, except for those who come from countries that do not report community transmission of the virus, according to a list by the World Health Organization. (WHO).

Despite the progress of the covid-19 vaccination campaign, Chile is facing a health crisis with an increasing number of infections. The authorities are watching with concern the evolution of the pandemic and have also reported that the start of a curfew already in force is brought forward to 9 p.m., also from Monday, April 5.

“We are living through very complex times of the pandemic in Chile,” said Enrique Paris, Minister of Health, who also indicated that he had not thought of resigning from his post.