The Diplomat
The Government has approved the tenth extension of the February 2 agreement limiting flights between Brazil and South Africa and Spanish airports to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The epidemiological situation and, above all, the impact of the variants of special concern linked to Brazil and the Republic of South Africa continues to be “very high”, so it is considered justified to maintain the restrictions on flights from the two countries through a further extension of the provisions contained in the Agreement of the Council of Ministers of February 2.
The new measure, approved last Tuesday by the Council of Ministers and published yesterday in the Official State Gazette (BOE), will come into force from 00:00 on June 22 (peninsular time) until 00:00 on July 6, 2021 (peninsular time). Therefore, by the end of this new extension, and regardless of its possible renewal, the restrictive measures with the two countries will have exceeded five months since their first application.
Under these measures, flights from Brazil and South Africa to Spain may only be operated by Spanish or Andorran citizens, as well as residents of both countries or passengers in international transit to a non-Schengen country with a stopover of less than 24 hours without leaving the transit zone of the Spanish airport. These restrictions do not affect the aeronautical personnel necessary to carry out air transport activities. In addition, other exemptions are contemplated for State aircraft flights, search and rescue services (SAR), flights with stopover in Spanish territory for non-commercial purposes and with final destination in another country, exclusive cargo flights, positional (ferry) and humanitarian, medical or emergency flights.
The Government also considers that, although it is true that the risk of importing cases from both countries can be reduced thanks to the sanitary control measures applicable on arrival in Spain, this does not prevent the continuation of extreme precautions in view of the potential for the spread of the Brazilian and South African variants of the virus.
In any case, depending on the evolution of the pandemic and the decisions that may be adopted in a coordinated manner in the European Union, the Ministry of Health may lift, for justified reasons, these limitations. This measure will be communicated, through the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, to the European Commission and to the rest of the EU Member States and, through the Ministry of Health, to the World Health Organization (WHO) in application of the International Health Regulations.
