लिस्बन।
पोर्चुगलमा कोरोना संक्रमितहरुको संख्या ह्वात्तै बढेपछि यसको रोकथामका लागि सरकारले कडा कदमहरु चलेको छ। मार्च १९ बाट लागु हुने गरी पोर्चुगलले युरोपियन युनियन बाहिरका सम्पूर्ण अन्तराष्ट्रिय उडानहरुमा प्रतिबन्ध लगाएको छ।
युरोपियन काउन्सिलको भिडियो कन्फरेन्स बैठकपछि पोर्चुगललाई कोरोनाको संक्रमणबाट बचाउन सरकारले चालेका कदमहरुको ब्रिफ़िङ् गर्ने क्रममा आज प्रधानमन्त्री एन्टोनियो कोस्टाले घोषणा गरे।
Flights outside and outside the European Union suspended from the 19th
Prime Minister António Costa, with the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Santos Silva, and Secretary of State Ana Paula Zacarias, makes a statement on the European Council, Lisbon, 17 March 2020 (photo: José Sena Goulão / Lusa)
The Government has decided to suspend flights outside and outside the European Union on 19 March, Prime Minister António Costa announced at the end of the extraordinary European Council held by videoconference and following the decisions taken by the Heads of State or Government of the European Union.
«As of midnight tomorrow, in order to allow sufficient time for the rotation of airplanes and for people who are outside and want to return and who are inside and want to leave, all international flights outside and outside the Union space are suspended European to any national airport, ”he said.
There are, however, “two exceptions: flights to non-EU countries where there is a strong presence of Portuguese communities (Canada, the United States, Venezuela and South Africa), to guarantee the fundamental principle of strict connection with our diaspora compatriots; and air connections with all Portuguese-speaking countries, safeguarding the special connection in this crisis situation – with regard to Brazil, the routes Lisbon-Rio de Janeiro and Lisbon-São Paulo will be restricted, with all routes to other destinations being suspended »Added the Prime Minister.
Borders of the European Union
One of the main themes of the Council was “the articulation of control at internal and external borders”, said António Costa, referring that, “regarding internal borders, the principle of freedom of movement within the European Union was reaffirmed by all, except for occasional situations, having been agreed that there would be no unilateral measures and that countries should act as Portugal and Spain did ”, establishing“ bilateral agreements that guarantee commonly agreed restrictions ”.
“As for the external borders, it was decided, based on the European Commission’s guidelines, the possibility of establishing restrictions over the next 30 days. These restrictions will be introduced with various specificities in the different States », with António Costa presenting the decision of the Portuguese Government to suspend air traffic.
The second main theme was “the general concern to take measures to avoid a deep economic crisis within the European Union”, with the Council ” urging the Eurogroup to continue the work started yesterday and the Commission announcing that tomorrow, at the meeting of Ministers of Labor, measures will be discussed to speed up the process of creating a European reinsurance mechanism for unemployment benefits, and measures to support companies to limit the use of lay-offs.
Supply of health and protection equipment
This second extraordinary European Council by videoconference also decided to “articulate the actions with a view to guaranteeing an adequate supply of the internal market, both with individual protection material and with equipment for hospitals, namely ventilators”.
The 27 countries assumed “the commitment to end the restrictions on circulation in the domestic market, and, on the other hand, the authorization to export to third countries, so that there is no shortage of this equipment in any of the countries of the European Union,” he said. also the Prime Minister who was accompanied by the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Santos Silva, and the Secretary of State for European Affairs, Ana Paula Zacarias.
Repatriation of nationals
It was also “decided a greater articulation in the effort to which we are all subject to the repatriation of national citizens who are in third countries and who, due to the cancellation of international flights, have had difficulty returning to their countries”.
The Prime Minister recalled that “over the past month, the repatriation of 408 Portuguese people from the most diverse countries has already been assured, and we are permanently monitoring, through Embassies, consular services, or the Consular Emergency Center, hundreds of other compatriots who want to return or want information on what they can do ».
“This is a very big effort by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, bearing in mind that, with quarantine measures in place in many of these countries, our consular services in those countries are closed. That is why all contacts were centralized at the Consular Emergency Center, in addition to a Covid-19 line that was created for this purpose, ”said António Costa.
