Peru: International air travel to resume from October 1 /update 27

Event

Peruvian Transport and Communications Minister Carlos Estremadoyro announced on Wednesday, September 2, that international air travel is set to resume from October 1 after being suspended in March due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. International flights are set to begin to countries with open borders such as the US, Mexico, and Spain.

On August 28, Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra signed a supreme decree expanding quarantine measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 in Peru. The 22:00 to 04:00 (local time) curfew from Monday to Saturday and all-day quarantine on Sunday remain in effect in most of Peru with the exception of certain regions in the country where a quarantine and a mandatory daily curfew from 20:00 to 04:00 are in place. The regions can be viewed here. In the quarantine areas, only one person per family will be allowed to leave the home during non-quarantine hours. Facemasks remain compulsory.

As of Thursday, September 3, there have been 657,129 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Peru, with 29,068 associated fatalities. Further international spread of the virus is expected in the near term.

Context

The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China). Since then, human-to-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed.

Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Some patients may experience other symptoms such as body pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell or a rash on skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms (in most cases mild) appear gradually. Generally, most patients (around 80 percent) rec

Advice

Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly and are usually effective immediately. Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question. It is advised to postpone nonessential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay.

To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures:

• Frequently clean hands by applying an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water.
• When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue; if used, throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands.
• If experiencing a fever, cough, difficulty breathing, or any other symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, including pneumonia, call emergency services before going to the doctor or hospital to prevent the potential spread of the disease.