Peru: COVID-19 state of emergency extended until October 31 /update 29

Event

Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra has announced that the country's state of emergency due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has been extended until at least October 31. Restrictions under the state of emergency, including a nationwide 23:00 - 04:00 (local time) curfew, a ban on social gatherings, and the compulsory use of face masks in public places, remain in place nationwide. However, enhanced measures have been implemented in some areas with identified COVID-19 clusters, including a full Sunday curfew in the Cusco, Puno, Moquegua, and Tacna regions, and an extended 20:00 - 04:00 curfew in the provinces of Huamanga, Abancay, and Huanuco. The regions can be viewed here. 

International flights to and from Peru are currently scheduled to be resume on October 5, having been suspended since March. Passengers entering the country are required to submit evidence of a negative COVID-19 test (PCR-RT) result conducted within 48 hours prior to arrival. However, the country's land borders remain closed.

As of Monday, September 28, there have been 805,302 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Peru, with 32,262 associated deaths. 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.