January 29, 2021

07:01

By Rodrigo Araújo*
Caroline Viegas*

PORTUGAL – Flights from Brazil to Portugal and vice-versa will be suspended as of this Friday, 29. The Portuguese Government announced, on the afternoon of this Wednesday, the 27th, the temporary suspension of air connections with Brazil due to the “evolution of the epidemiological situation worldwide, the increase in cases of infection by SARS-CoV-2 in Portugal and the detection of new strains of the virus”.

“Until February 14, all flights, commercial or private, of all airlines, to and from Brazil are suspended. The rules now established are also applicable to flights to and from the United Kingdom”, read the statement.

In addition to Portugal, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Angola, and the United States, they also suspended flights to Brazil.

However, flights of a humanitarian nature remain for the purpose of repatriation of Portuguese citizens and members of their families, as well as foreigners holding a residence permit in Portugal. On flights of a humanitarian nature, citizens of the European Union, states associated with the Schengen Area, and their families can also board. Also, third-country nationals legally resident in a Member State of the European Union, exclusively for the purpose of repatriation.

Also according to the note from the Portuguese Government, all citizens must present, at the time of departure, “proof of conducting a molecular test by RT-PCR to screen for SARS-CoV-2 infection with a negative result, carried out within 72 hours before departure time”. Also, “upon arrival in the national territory, they must comply with a period of 14 days of quarantine at home or in a place indicated by the health authorities”.

In the case of connecting flights, passengers will have to wait in their own place inside the airport. This Wednesday Portugal registers another 293 deaths as a result of Covid-19 and 15,073 new cases of infection with the new coronavirus, according to the situation report of the Directorate-General for Health.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Portugal has accounted for 11,305 deaths and 668,951 cases of infection with the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, with 5,512 cases being active this Wednesday, totaling 172,893.

As for hospital admissions, the DGS epidemiological bulletin reveals that 6,603 patients are hospitalized, 131 more compared to Tuesday, of whom 183 are in intensive care, 18 more. The bulletin also reveals that 9,268 more patients were recovered. Since the beginning of the pandemic in Portugal, in March, 484,753 people have recovered.

*Special collaboration for Cenarium Magazine
*Special translation for Cenarium Magazine