The Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare of Paraguay announced this Sunday new restrictions for entering the country, indefinitely, according to new evidence and epidemiological situation regarding the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
In this way, the entry ban for foreign travelers from South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Angola.
This measure is based on the risk of introduction of the new variant to the neighboring country, at a time of increase in cases with a predominance of the Delta variant and with low complete coverage at the population level of the anticovid-19 vaccine, according to the official report of the health portfolio.
As for Paraguayan travelers from these countries, they must keep preventive quarantine at their homes for a minimum of 10 days, in addition to carrying out a PCR test for SARS-CoV-2, five days after the test presented for entry into the country, which will be sent for genomic sequencing to the Central Public Health Laboratory.
The Paraguayan health portfolio also recommends avoiding trips to these destinations and other countries that detect the Omicron variant, until there is new information and variation in the epidemiological situation of the country.
Paraguay already vaccinates children over 5 years of age. Photo Norberto Duarte / AFP
Paraguay detected 48 new positive cases of coronavirus this Sunday, thus rising to 462,956 cases confirmed since the start of the pandemic.
Likewise, in the last 24 hours two other deaths were reported as a result of Covid-19, which the total number of fatalities attributed to this disease amounts to 16,463.
According to the daily report of the Ministry of Health, one of the fatal victims corresponds to the age group considered at risk of 60 years and also was not vaccinated, while the other is from the segment of 40 to 59 years of age and had the vaccine against the disease.
On the other hand, some 69 new patients have managed to overcome the disease to date, totaling 445,657 patients recovered so far from the pandemic, leaving 836 active patients throughout the country.
Argentina also imposed restrictions on travelers from Africa. Photo Paula Ribas / Xinhua / Télam
Argentina also imposed restrictions
The Government made official in the early hours of this Sunday strong restrictions and new measures for those who come from or have been in Africa, among which are the imposition of a mandatory 14-day quarantine.
The decision, published in the Official Gazette, is due to the consequences that the “Ómicron” variant of covid-19 is causing in different parts of the world, which according to specialists was generated in that continent.
According to Administrative Decision 1163/2021, “any person who comes from or has been in the African continent or in the affected areas defined by the national health authority in the last fourteen days prior to entering the country, will be subject to to the fulfillment of the migratory requirements in force and to the set of obligatory sanitary dispositions ”.
In this context, those who make up this group of people must “inform, in their Affidavit, if they come from or if they were, in the last 14 days prior to entering the country, in the affected areas defined by the national health authority.”
They will also have to “have completed the vaccination schedule at least fourteen days before entering the country, “Have a negative PCR test performed in the country of origin within 72 hours prior to entering the country” and “perform an antigen test, upon arrival in the country.”
One of the most important provisions, meanwhile, is that the citizens included in this provision will have to “quarantine provided for in article 7 subsection d) of Decree No. 260/20 and its amending and complementary regulations, and a PCR test must be carried out on the tenth day after taking a sample from the PCR test at origin, the result of which must be negative, as condition of completion of mandatory isolation ”.
“Those non-resident foreigners must add to the aforementioned requirements, the duty to have COVID-19 health insurance, with coverage of hospitalization services, isolation and / or medical transfers, for those who result in positive cases, suspects or close contacts ”Added the Administrative Decision.
In any case, it was clarified that “those flights with a scheduled entry date within 48 hours prior to the entry into force of this regulation will be exempted.”
“The national health authority, faced with a possible risk of spread of contagion, may adopt measures to prevent crew members, and passengers from the African continent or from areas defined as affected by the health authority, from using any means of collective transportation, including cruises, or participate in massive events or any other activity that may favor the spread of the new variant in the country. It may also require them to carry out the tests and isolations provided for in current regulations, “he added.
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