Argentina: Authorities tighten COVID-19 restrictions through at least April 30 /update 31

Event

Officials in Argentina have issued orders to tighten restrictions effective April 9 through at least April 30 due to recent increases in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations. Under the new directives, residents may not be outside of their homes between the hours of 00:01-06:00 unless attending to an emergency; essential personnel are exempt from the movement restriction. Additionally, in regions with high COVID-19 activity, restaurants and bars must close nightly by 23:00, gatherings at private homes are banned, and outdoor gatherings are capped at no more than 20 people. Indoor sports activities with more than 10 people are also prohibited. Casinos, bingo halls, discotheques, and ballrooms must close. Tourist and school group flights are also banned. Moreover, in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area, public transport may only be used by persons working in essential services, as well as students and school employees.

Local and regional authorities may enforce more restrictive measures if they consider it necessary. In the city of Buenos Aires, most measures will be the same as those at the national level, except that nonessential businesses in the nation's capital may open no earlier than 10:00 daily. In certain municipalities of the Buenos Aires province, businesses must remain closed between 20:00-06:00.

International Travel
All ports of entry remain closed to most nonresident foreign nationals until further notice. Only citizens, legal residents, and foreign nationals authorized to travel for employment, commercial, diplomatic, sporting event, and essential family reunification reasons are allowed entry. Passengers may transit Argentinian airports provided they remain within the facility and their onward flights depart within 24 hours. Passenger flights from the UK, Chile, Mexico, and Brazil remain banned, with the exception of limited flights for repatriating Argentinian citizens. The closure of the land borders to residents of Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Brazil will also stay in force; land borders are only open for nationals and residents who left the country April-Dec. 25, 2020. A reduced number of flights to and from Europe, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, and the US remain available. Generally, international cargo, medical, and humanitarian transport operations are running normally; however, truck drivers and aircraft flight crews may be subject to enhanced screening measures.

Persons permitted entry - including Argentinian nationals, residents, and authorized foreign nationals - must complete an affidavit for the National Directorate of Migration up to 48 hours before travel and provide a negative result from a COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours before travel. Nonresident foreign nationals must also provide proof of medical insurance. All arrivals must complete a mandatory self-quarantine for a total of 10 days after taking the PCR test. Travelers may be subject to additional testing upon arrival.

Domestic Travel
Domestic flights, along with long-distance bus and train services, are operating. Authorities continue to restrict interprovincial travel, which is largely reserved only for essential workers and other authorized persons. Some provinces and municipalities may enforce entry requirements, including presenting COVID-19 test results to allow entry. The city of Buenos Aires requires all arrivals from out of town to complete an online health affidavit and take a COVID-19 test upon arrival if traveling by air or bus, or within 72 hours of arriving if traveling by private vehicle. Travelers will only be required to self-isolate if the test result is positive. Individuals entering Santa Cruz Province by air must present a negative result from a COVID-19 test taken within the previous 48 hours; for those entering by ground transport, the test must have been taken with the past 72 hours.

Authorities could reimpose, extend, tighten, ease, or otherwise amend any restrictions with little-to-no notice, depending on disease activity over the coming weeks.

Advice

Follow all official instructions. Reconfirm all travel arrangements and business appointments. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions.

Resources

World Health Organization (WHO)
National Directorate of Migration - Affidavit
Government of Argentina - COVID-19 (Spanish)
Provincial Government Information (Spanish)
Provincial Entry Requirements (Spanish)