Nearly a 1000 passengers and 35 airlines were fined at Portuguese airports in the first 12 days of the new restriction of needing a negative Covid-19 test or recovery certificate to enter Portugal, the Ministry of Internal Affairs revealed yesterday.
Since December 1st, all passengers arriving in Portugal by air are required to present a negative test to Covid-19, or recovery certificate, upon arrival.
Within this measure to contain the increase in the number of covid-19 cases, the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI) states that, between December 1st and 12th, the PSP and the SEF inspected 377,751 passengers and 3,843 flights, which resulted in 987 administrative offenses.
Of the 987 infraction notices, 604 were raised by the PSP, which controls passengers from flights originating in the Schengen area, and 383 by the SEF, which supervises travellers from countries outside the Schengen area (outside Europe).
Passengers on domestic flights, children under 12 and crews are exempt from mandatory testing, PCR or rapid flow.
The Ministry of Internal Administration also indicates that the 987 administrative offenses include seven foreigners who were refused entry into the country for not having presented a test on arrival, since only Portuguese nationals, foreign residents and diplomatic staff are allowed to carry out the test at the airport.
According to the MAI, 35 airlines were fined for having transported passengers without a negative covid-19 test or recovery certificate, with most of these companies having transported people from Europe.
Airlines that transport passengers without a negative covid-19 test incur a fine of between 20,000 and 40,000 euros per passenger, and the travellers are also subject to administrative offenses for not presenting a test on arrival, which can be fined between 300 and 800 euros.
MAI data also show that 991 Covid-19 diagnostic tests were carried out at airports for passengers who entered the country without the necessary covid documents.
At land borders, also since December 1st, citizens of countries outside the European Union or EU countries considered to be at red or dark red risk need a negative test or recovery certificate to enter Portugal.
Citizens from EU countries considered to be at low or moderate risk must carry a vaccination certificate, and negative test certificate or recovery certificate to enter Portugal.
According to the MAI, the GNR and the Aliens and Borders Service are also carrying out random inspection operations at the land borders to ensure that covid-19 tests are carried out. Between December 1st and 12th there were 15,976 inspections carried out on light vehicles and goods, motorcycles, trains, buses, which gave rise to 31 administrative offenses for lack of a test or recovery certificate, and 294 diagnostic tests being carried out at the land borders.
Mainland Portugal has been in a state of calamity since December 1st due to the increase in the number of covid-19 cases and these border rules are in force until January 9th, 2022.
Original article available in Portuguese at http://postal.pt/
