As of midnight on Monday, Chile began to progressively open borders via the Santiago Airport. The measure allows entry of foreigners who must meet a series of requirements, which were listed by Transportation and Telecommunications Minister Gloria Hutt, Economy, Development and Tourism Minister Lucas Palacios, and Foreign Affairs Minister Andrés Allamand.
Minister Hutt said that “regardless of their country of origin, every foreigner who enters must have three documents: the Affidavit for Travelers, which is available at www.c19.cl; a negative result for a PCR taken no more than 72 hours before boarding the flight; and health insurance that covers care associated with COVID-19.”
She also noted that these requirements would remain in place throughout the peak season.
“During the first two weeks after this border opening, foreigners entering Chile from countries classified as high risk by the WHO must quarantine for 14 days. The requirement is related to the gradual nature of the plan and the trial run of the traceability system that will enable a more complete opening as of December 8,” said Minister Gloria Hutt.
Foreign Affairs Minister Andrés Allamand added that “having our borders closed was certainly a difficult measure, but it was essential to managing the pandemic. It is because the pandemic has been adequately handled that we can now begin opening our borders.”
Minister Lucas Palacios stated, “Chile receives 4 million foreign tourists annually, but we have only welcomed 1.1 million this year. This border opening, with all the entry conditions, of course, will allow 300,000 additional tourists to arrive before the end of the year. That is good because the tourism industry generates nearly 600,000 jobs, approximately 250,000 of which have been lost during the pandemic.”
Nuevo Pudahuel CEO, Xavier Lortat-Jacob, explained that the border opening “is a very positive, very important step.” He noted that Chile’s main air terminal is a ‘safe facility’ and has independent health certifications that support the health measures in place.
The reopening plan includes traveler traceability for timely identification of potential outbreaks. Following arrival, all those entering the country will be subject to a 14-day Traveler Surveillance Period, during which they will have to report daily on their location and health status via a link sent to their e-mail.
It is important to clarify that the borders have never been closed for Chilean citizens and residents. Entry conditions for that group include mandatory 14-day quarantine, from which they may be exempted with a negative PCR test, an Affidavit for Travelers and accepting entry into the Traveler’s Surveillance Period program. Those without a PCR from abroad may take a test in Chile and, if negative, be exempt from the quarantine period.
October Aeronautics Report
October figures for national and international air traffic were also reported at the event. According to figures from the Transportation and Telecommunications Ministry’s Civil Aeronautics Board, the airline industry has progressively recovered in recent months, though figures remain low compared to a typical year.
In October, 438,106 passengers were transported to national and international destinations. Of those, 371,324 were domestic passengers, which translates into a reduction of 67.9% compared to the same month of the previous year and 66,782 were international passengers, a drop of 91.9%.
This month, the most popular domestic routes were Antofagasta, Iquique, Calama, Concepción and Puerto Montt. At the top of the international list were Miami, Lima, Sao Paulo, Panama City and Madrid.
The data also showed that 37,597 tons of cargo were transported on domestic and international flights, up 22.2% from the same month last year. Meanwhile, domestic and international mail transport reached 1,671 tons, the equivalent of 49% growth.