Portugal scraps Covid restrictions for travellers entering the country

Travellers entering Portugal will no longer be subject to Covid restrictions after all border rules are scrapped.

As announced on Saturday, July 2, by the Civil Aviation authority ANAC in Portugal, travellers can finally enter the country without the need to produce a Covid Digital Certificate, or any form of Covid test result. This decision was made during a meeting of the Council of Ministers on Friday, July 1. 

“Air carriers are no longer obliged to require passengers, when boarding flights to or through mainland Portugal to present proof of carrying out a test to screen for infection by SARS-CoV-2 with a negative result, of an EU Covid Digital Certificate or recovery certificates issued by third countries, accepted or recognised in Portugal”, read an ANAC statement, in reference to dispatch nº 8022-D/2022.

It continued: “With the entry into force of this new regime, air carriers and passengers are no longer subject to the restrictive measures applicable to air traffic, in the context of combating the pandemic”.

Authorities at airlines, airports, land borders, and maritime/river frontiers had been left to determine their own entry requirements by the terms of a previous dispatch in April. Today’s dispatch – nº 8022-D/20222 – revokes that previous one, according to portugalresident.com.

“The epidemiological situation being experienced in Portugal remains relatively stable, resulting from elevated vaccine coverage, the emergence of new pharmaceutical treatments for serious consequences of Covid-19, and a greater understanding of the infection”, stated the new dispatch.

At the press conference of the Council of Ministers yesterday, Mariana Vieira da Silva, the Minister of the Presidency had hinted at today’s announcement. However, she mentioned that Portugal’s ‘Situation of Alert’ would continue until the end of July. Masks will still have to be worn when entering pharmacies, old people’s homes, and health centres.

These SARS-CoV-2 restrictions are being removed in most countries now, but it does of course mean that somebody could still actually be positive for the virus when entering a country’s borders.

___________________________________________________________

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.