Government to demand PAR and mandatory quarantine for those arriving from abroad, and extend border closures

In order to stop and postpone the appearance of the new strain in Argentina as long as possible, the government will change the requirements for those arriving from abroad: in principle, it will no longer be optional and it will become mandatory not only to perform a PCR test – within 72 hours before travel – but also to carry out a quarantine of at least 7 days, beyond the recording a negative result.

Until now, those arriving in Ezeiza could choose between testing or quarantine. Now both measures must be respected.

In addition, after ordering the suspension of flights to and from the UK, the government will expand the list of countries with which connections would be canceled. It would be, according to high official sources, Italy, Holland, Germany, France and Australia where, in the last hours, cases of the new strain were recorded.

In this way, experts understand that the possibility of transmission will be significantly reduced.

As counted Bugle, at least for the moment the government excludes the massive closure of the borders and insists on the strategy of “Surgical” and “temporary” adjustments and “country by country” assessment. Therefore, the list could be enlarged or reduced depending on the epidemiological assessment carried out by Health.

Ginés González García was very clear when laundering the extreme concern that exists within government over the growing curve of new coronavirus cases and the emergence of the new strain, which experts say is up to 70% more contagious . The Minister of Health warned that “if you continue to do the same happens in the last 15 days, things will get worse ”and that if this pace is maintained, there will be“ problems when summer begins, not when it ends ”.

The same thing he raised publicly in interviews with C5N and El Uncover Radio, the official wrote in a report he sent to the president, who decided to make changes. Therefore, the deadlines that Alberto Fernández planned to tighten the restrictions have been accelerated and the measures will be formalized in the coming hours.

The new restrictions, confirmed in Clarín by high official sources, were agreed between the different sectors of the Government involved in the issue: after the recommendation of Health, there were cross consultations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry inside. Even on Tuesday night, the possibility of the resolution being published in the Official Gazette on Wednesday was assessed.

As this newspaper went on, Argentina could also move forward with entry ban for tourists from neighboring countries, like Paraguay, Bolivia and Chile, in accordance with the border closure imposed by Uruguay a few days ago.

The measures would not, however, affect Argentines who have to return from abroad.

PDL