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ARGENTINA | 24-08-2021 14:41

Argentina looks at reopening border to foreign tourists in September

Government could re-open country’s borders to foreign tourists next month, according to Casa Rosada sources.

Argentina’s government is analysing whether to re-open the country’s borders to foreign tourists next month, according to Casa Rosada sources.

"We have to keep advancing with the second doses [of Covid-19 vaccines] and next month, we will evaluate the entry of foreign tourists with both doses, starting with neighbouring countries," a top government source told the Noticias Argentinas news agency.

Tourists from neighbouring countries "would not need [to] quarantine" upon arrival in Argentina and by September, the country could be hosting mass sporting events and concerts, the source said.

Describing Argentina’s vaccination campaign as "highly advanced," the source said that government data showed that “we have 58.5 percent of persons aged over 50 with two doses while 60 percent of the entire population have at least a single dose."

Regarding the entry of the Delta variant, another Casa Rosada source considered that Argentina is "better placed" than some months back, given that "some very strong advances in vaccination were possible before the arrival of the new variant."

 

Delta variant 

"Argentina has major coverage with regard to the arrival of the Delta variant, which does not mean that there will be no contagion, but hospitalised cases and deaths will be greatly reduced," one of the sources reflected. 

Along those lines, one source praised the decision of President Alberto Fernández to cap the daily entry into the country of Argentines coming from abroad, considering that "this opened up a different perspective while advancing in vaccination."

"Where the Manaos variant predominates, the Delta [variant] cannot enter fully,"  said the source, who recognised that "the big scare was with the second wave [of contagion]" at the start of this year.

Another source indicated that they cannot affirm anything about whether Argentina will have a third wave of coronavirus but stressed that the country is "more robust" than at the start of the pandemic.

"Here we can hardly say is that it’s all over, but we seem far more robust after having advanced so fast with vaccination before the arrival of the new variant [of Covid-19], which permits us to be better prepared," they emphasised.

Finally, the sources sounded a note of optimism over the possible impact of a third wave in Argentina, with one adding: "We’re coming through the winter with all activities open and cases keep coming down."

 

– TIMES/NA

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