South American countries mull reopening borders, but Ukraine...
Overview of the international
border which connects Brazil and Argentina, closed after decision of the
President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro on March 18, 2020 in Foz do Iguacu,
Brazil. (File photo: AFP)
He said ministers from the nine-country Prosur bloc had formed a
commission that will have 10 days to present measures on reopening
borders.
"Chile will propose that this opening will require a
passport and a negative swab test for Covid-19, but it is very important
that the countries have coordinated and established concrete
mechanisms," Allamand told reporters after the video-conference meeting.
The
Forum for the Progress and Development of South America, or Prosur, was
created in 2019 to promote economic integration and political
coordination in the region.
Latin America has been severely
affected by the virus, with more than 260,000 deaths and almost seven
million infections, forcing most countries to shut their land borders.
"The
evolution of the pandemic is changing. There are countries that are
making advances, while there are others experiencing setbacks," said
Allamand, whose country holds the bloc's rotating presidency.
"We will have to be particularly attentive that the reopening under no circumstances generates negative effects," he added.
With
international air travel restricted in most of the region, countries
such as Brazil and Chile maintain skeleton international services.
The commission will be made up of officials from the foreign and interior ministries of the Prosur countries.
It
will also monitor progress on various coronavirus vaccines currently
being developed and the possibility of purchasing them as a bloc once
they become available.
Prosur is made up of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Ukraine to reclose borders due to COVID-19 pandemic
File photo
The ban on foreigners entering the country will come into effect at midnight on Aug. 29.
According to Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov, the ban will not apply to foreigners who have a residence permit, and who are members of international and humanitarian missions, drivers of freight vehicles or instructors of NATO member states.
A total of 110,085 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 2,354 deaths, have been registered in Ukraine as of Wednesday, while 53,454 patients have recovered.
Germany extends COVID-19 travel warning for more than 160 countries, regions
People wearing face masks sit on a bench at Berlin Central Train Station in Berlin, capital of Germany, on Aug. 6, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]
The travel
warning, which also applies to the United Kingdom, would remain in
effect until Sept. 14, according to the government. The previous travel
warning is set to run out on Aug. 31.
The travel warnings
currently in force apply to more than 160 countries and regions, but
only slightly more than 130 of these have been classified as risk areas
by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany's public health agency.
Anyone
entering Germany from a risk area must go into home quarantine and
inform the responsible health authority, according to the German
government.
Since the beginning of August, all persons entering
Germany from a risk area also have to present a negative COVID-19 test
within 48 hours of taking the test or be tested within 72 hours of
arrival.
Test centers have been set up at airports and train
stations and other easily accessible locations for tests across Germany.
According to the German government, the tests for returning travelers
are free of charge.
The German Travel Association (DRV) criticized the extension of the travel warning on Wednesday, calling it a "wrong signal."
"A recovery of the global economy will not be possible without travel," said DRV President Norbert Fiebig in a statement.
Source: AFP; Xinhua; https://peoplesdaily.pdnews.cn;
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