Karina Niebla
03/27/2021 19:07
Clarín.com
Society
Updated 03/27/2021 7:20 PM
The missing passengers: those who arrive this weekend at the Ezeiza International Airport on flights from
Brazil, Mexico and Chile
are the last to arrive from those countries until further notice.
Also, the first to be
tested yes or yes
, whether they are Argentine citizens or not, and regardless of the city where they live.
Just over a thousand people who, in case of testing positive for Covid, must isolate themselves in a Buenos Aires hotel.
The testing is
threefold
: flight passengers from these three countries are tested this weekend before boarding, upon arrival in the country and on the seventh day of entry.
These tests will be in charge of each passenger.
This was indicated by official sources.
The same measure will begin to be applied on Monday
to all flights
that enter the country through Ezeiza.
On that day, Administrative Decision 268 will also enter into full force, which prohibits flights from Mexico, Brazil and Chile, countries with the highest epidemiological risk.
Travelers must be tested three times: before boarding, upon arrival in the country and seven days after arrival.
Photo Télam
"The tests in Ezeiza that began today, were developed
with total normality, collaboration and without difficulties
. The first flight that had to comply with the new provisions was one that arrived from Mexico during the morning with 230 passengers on board, where identified a positive case that was isolated ", they communicated from the Ministry of Health of the Nation.
Later it was confirmed that on that flight, Aeroméxico AM 28, which arrived at 11:15, there were
two positive cases
.
And with the passing of the hours and the arrivals of the planes.
Passengers' annoyance increased due to delays and having to pay for tests.
Although some were relieved to have been able to return before the closing of borders with Mexico, Brazil and Chile.
In total, a flight arrived from Mexico City, two from Santiago de Chile, one from San Pablo (Brazil) and one from Cancun.
"After these first 48 hours, the test will be extended to flights from any country in the world. We trust that these measures will contribute to reducing the probability of entry of new variants of SARS CoV2", indicated from Health.
Travelers are swabbed for antigen testing, the result of which is known 20 to 30 minutes later.
They must pay $ 2,500 for this study.
If it tests positive, they perform a PCR test, which costs $ 4,100.
These samples also undergo
a genomic sequencing test
.
In this way, it is determined whether it is the virus lineages considered to be of the highest epidemiological risk due to their high infectivity.
Passengers who test positive must undergo genomic sequencing tests to determine the virus strain.
Presidency Photo
In the meantime, they
should isolate themselves
together with their close contacts in the place indicated by the national authorities.
The cost of the stay will be in charge of the travelers.
If it is confirmed that it is the Manaus or United Kingdom strains, the passengers will remain isolated.
If they are strains that already have community circulation in Argentina, they will be able to complete the isolation in their homes or other devices provided by the jurisdictions.
The authorities explained that passengers who test negative will still have to comply with preventive isolation for 10 days at their homes.
And they affirmed that there will be more controls to ensure that the measure is complied with.
The annoyance of having to pay for tests
And
can not be
entered in the international arrivals area
of the airport of Ezeiza, unless one is a
passenger on a flight just landed, the airport staff or agent of the PSA.
Family and friends of the newcomers
wait for them outside
, in the open air, 20 meters from the entrance.
They are behind a fence with light blue signs, which recommend two meters of distance, chinstrap, hand washing, the classic care combo that the world has already learned by heart but it never hurts to remember.
Miriam traveled from Peru with her five-year-old daughter and her husband, Juan.
As he
made a stopover in Chile
, the couple had to comply with the test.
Not his daughter, because she is less than six years old.
"There were mothers who had several children over six years old and they did not want to test them, because it was very expensive," says Miriam. "In the end, I don't know what happened to them, whether they continue to argue or not."
The
antigen swab test
in Ezeiza costs $ 2,500.
It is done in both nostrils, after passing Migrations and looking for the suitcase.
The result takes between 20 minutes and half an hour, and is communicated by mail.
But, since Miriam did not have Internet on her cell phone, she took the proof of the Covid negative.
From Monday, all passengers arriving in Ezeiza must undergo a swab.
This Saturday they began with those arriving from Chile, Brazil and Mexico.
Presidency Photo
In addition to that amount, you have to pay for the test prior to traveling, which Miriam paid at 60 dollars each in Peru.
"It is a shame to come to this country and
have to pay another test
if one already brings a negative result. The virus has already entered. All this circus should have been done a year ago," complains a passenger who does not want to give her name .
He comes from visiting his daughter in San Pablo.
Daniela arrived on flight 503 from Santiago de Chile.
Your return home is going to take longer than you thought.
"I had to cancel the remis I had reserved because
I ran out of money to pay him
: I had to use it for testing," he regrets. "Now I'm waiting for a friend to come and get me, but it will take time, just now I can let him know.
Tamara and Agustina are Chilean and live in Rosario.
They regret having to have another test done, not only because of the cost but
the delay
.
"There was a lot of queue. It took an hour between queuing to do the test and waiting for the results. Many people refused, but they had no other choice because, if not, they could not leave," explains Tamara.
Agustina adds a piece of information: "They told us that if it tests positive, we must isolate the entire flight."
In addition to the complaints about the price and time, there are also complaints about
the delays in charging by credit card
: "I don't know if the posnet is wrong but it took me a thousand years for that," says Mariana.
Or for the price of the tests before flying: "I paid the equivalent of $ 7,100, and nobody covers you for anything", regrets Mario.
Pablo arrived from Brazil.
Happiness for the negative result contrasts with worry before arriving.
"I know that on Monday they cut the flights from there. When mine was delayed, I was scared. Luckily I'm already here."
NS
Look also
Flight suspension: lack of information and chaos due to rescheduling
Coronavirus: point by point, the new restrictions for Argentines returning from abroad