Covid-19: Government will announce “very soon” the date for the reopening of borders – Minister of Tourism

The Minister of Tourism and Transport said today that the Government will announce "very soon" when international flights will resume, but underlined that the opening of borders does not depend only on Cape Verde.

Carlos Santos, who was speaking to the press this morning in Cidade Velha, after chairing the opening of the commemorative activities for the World Tourism Day, this year celebrated under the motto "Tourism and Rural Development", assured that all the conditions are created so that , in the next few days, can come up with a date on the opening of borders.

“Today, if we want to open the Cape Verde destination, we need to prepare the country, namely with regard to protocols, rules and health safety, measures that have been taken over the last two months and which also cover a safe tourism program that trained about 500 members of the tourist circuit”, he said.

The government official also explained that two covid-19 centers were also created, (Boa Vista and Sal), and the latter receives this weekend the certification seal, which will make the center an international level treatment stand. of covid-19, thus transmitting security to those who want to visit Cape Verde and to operators.

Once the conditions are created, he assured that very soon the Government will announce when the opening of the borders will take place, but aware that this opening does not mean the mass entry of tourists as some of the issuing countries have defined criteria for the departure of their citizens.

The minister recalled that, in view of the second wave of the covid-19 pandemic on the European continent, some countries are making weekly decisions, but assured that the archipelago has already created all the conditions imposed and is “optimistic” of making the announcement in the coming days. on the reopening of borders.

“The opening of borders does not depend only on Cape Verde, since there are variables that were not accounted for in July because there are decisions that were being taken, and what is also the decision of the Cape Verdean Government is reflected in the opinion of the health authorities with based on technical and health issues”, he said.

Last Wednesday, the 23rd, the Association of Travel Agencies appealed to the Government to reopen the borders and resume international flights, most of which have their activities suspended.

Along the same lines, in a statement sent today, Transportes Interilhas de Cabo Verde (TICV) admitted that the recovery in demand for domestic flights depends on the resumption of regular international connections.

TICV also advances that the movement of passengers remains “significantly below” the levels prior to the covid-19 pandemic, due to the suspension, still in force, of regular international air connections, since the second half of March, with a heavy weight. significant in the company's operation, which then ensures internal connections between the various islands.