Nora Sanchez
11/20/2020 13:06
Clarín.com
Cities
Updated 11/20/2020 1:06 PM
The Buenos Aires government announced this Friday the
reopening of Buenos Aires to tourism
, both national and international "with care protocols."
All those who arrive in the City, both by bus or plane and by private car, must
undergo a test
to determine if they have coronavirus.
However, there will be no quarantines, unless an infected traveler is detected or is in close contact with a positive.
"Tourism returns to the City with a very specific protocol that has to do with the need to
maintain care
", announced the Chief of Cabinet of the Buenos Aires Government, Felipe Miguel, in a virtual press conference.
The official tourism season in the City will start on the long weekend from December 5 to 8.
By then, the Buenos Aires government will have different testing operations.
One of them will be
at the Dellepiane terminal
, for visitors arriving by bus.
At the moment, the Retiro one is closed for works and the Villa Soldati terminal, according to the Buenos Aires Secretary of Transportation, Juan José Méndez, 210 buses arrive per week.
"We are going to increase that amount to improve connectivity," he explained.
Passengers arriving by bus through the Dellepiane terminal will be able to have the test done at the same place.
Photo Diego Díaz
Meanwhile,
those who arrive in the City by private car
will have to have the test done within 24 hours of arrival at the Buenos Aires Convention Center, which is next to the Law School, or at the Munich Building, located in Costanera Sur.
At the
Ezeiza Airport
, from December 15, the operation will be mounted to test those who arrive by plane.
Both national and international tourists and residents who return to the City will be tested.
The methodology used will be
a saliva test
because, as the authorities explained at the press conference, it is a simple, quick and less invasive test than swabbing.
The test will have
a value of $ 2,500
for the international tourist.
In the case of Argentines who return to the country and are destined for the City, that cost will be covered by the health coverage they have.
For people with disabilities, who receive state assistance or retirees, it will be free.
Children under 12 years of age will be exempt from testing.
A quick saliva test at London Heathrow Airport.
AFP PHOTO / LHR Airports Limited
For now, only
international tourism from neighboring countries
is allowed
.
Travelers from Bolivia, Brazil, Chile and Paraguay can enter exclusively by air, and those from Uruguay, also by river.
Foreign visitors must submit a sworn statement online and also take a test at origin 72 hours in advance, as required by the national government.
In addition, they must have medical insurance with coverage for coronavirus.
At the time of their arrival in the City, tourists must go through the local test, but
they will not have to wait for the result, which will take 12 hours
, nor will they have to comply with a quarantine.
In the event that the study is positive, the traveler and the close contacts who have arrived with him will be contacted to isolate them.
But in those 12 hours prior to knowing the result, travelers will be able to move freely.
The
national and resident tourists
to return may enter the city by bus (Dellepiane terminal), train or car, or by air via Ezeiza.
They will also need to submit a sworn statement online and go through the test upon arrival.
The building where the Münich Confectionery used to be will be one of the centers for people who arrive by car to take the test.
Photo Andrés D'Elía
In the case of those who enter through the Dellepiane terminal or through Ezeiza, it will be simple, because the operatives will be in those places.
But for those who arrive by car or train, they will have
24 hours to test at the Convention Center or at Munich.
In the Buenos Aires Government they explain that, with the collaboration of ENACOM and the telephone companies, when the entry into the City of people with cell phones that do not have the 011 feature is detected,
they will automatically be sent a text message
to notify them that they have to take the test.
That message will have a link to Boti, the City chat, which will guide them to fulfill the requirement.
Buenos Aires residents with cell phones that have not been captured by City antennas in a period of 72 hours will also receive a message.
According to official figures, in 2019 2.9 million international tourists arrived in Buenos Aires, who spent US $ 1,839 million, and 6.9 million domestic tourists, who left US $ 645 million.
This represents
a total of US $ 2.484 million
that remained in the City.
"The neighboring countries contribute more than 50% of the international tourists who arrive in the City," said Gonzalo Robredo, president of the Buenos Aires Tourism Board.
But this year, the coronavirus pandemic paralyzed tourism.
"Within the framework of the City's start-up plan,
the time has come to reactivate it
. We are prepared to face the flow of visitors," said Fernando Straface, Secretary General and International Relations.
For the Buenos Aires authorities, the conditions are already in place for the City to reopen for tourism.
Photo Guillermo Rodríguez Adami
The Chief of Staff, Felipe Miguel, underlined the economic impact of the activity: "Tourism is always a source of work for Buenos Aires residents and today
the conditions are in place for us to reopen our doors
and for more people to get to know the wonderful city than We have taking all precautions for prevention.
The priority is and will continue to be taking care of the health of the neighbors.
I want to bring you the peace of mind that we have a testing system for each tourist who comes to the City, we have already set up the protocol for this to be so ”.
The plan, as stressed during the announcement, was coordinated with the National Ministries of Transportation and Tourism, the ORSNA (Regulatory Agency of the National Airport System) and Migrations.
Straface explained that Buenos Aires “has the international seal of safe destination, which many hotels are already obtaining.
In addition, this policy will allow us to work together with the main destinations throughout the country to generate careful circuits, given that many of the tourists who enter Argentina first visit Buenos Aires and then travel to other cities ”.
NS
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