To US citizens traveling to Argentina, beware that you may or may not be quarantined for 14 days upon arrival in Buenos Aires. As of now, Fly Fishing Patagonia is advising travelers who are within a few hours of boarding flights to Argentina to consider staying at home.
News is developing by the minute. As of 1:30pm EST, the Argentine government has not made an official announcement. However, yesterday they announced together with Peru and Columbia “a two-week isolation period for people arriving from China, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Japan, South Korea and the United States”. This was cited in the France24 new website.
We have not seen an official announcement yet from the Argentine government.
This morning, Americans and others coming from the mentioned countries are being checked by medical professionals upon arrival. Those with no symptoms are free to carry on their journey. Those with symptoms are detained. No one really knows yet if tomorrow and the next day will be more of the same OR if all travelers from these countries will be detained or quarantined for an undetermined time.
It is our opinion it is a bit far fetched that the Argentine government is going to quarantine thousands of people in hotels for 2 weeks, so the most likely scenario is that asymptomatic travelers will be allowed to continue their vacation OR be required to fly home immediately. And if you have symptoms or test positive for the virus you may be quarantined or required to fly home. No one knows yet. At this point, it’s a personal decision to fly or not.
We are in close contact with partnering outfitters and lodges and they too are trying to make decisions with little information. Together with Nervous Waters and other partners, we agree that those who are traveling in the next 48 hours should probably take the decision to remain at home. Those who are flying in 3 or more days should have more concrete information. The question of credits or refunds has risen but is not being addressed at this time. I can assure you that we and our partners have each client’s best interest in mind.
We ask for a couple of days to sort through these developments to determine how to advise our clients and move forward. If there is an official announcement by the Argentina government we will post it and we will contact travelers directly.
Thank you for your patience,
Justiniano F Campa
Fly Fishing Patagonia
This link takes you to the March 11th announcement on the US Embassy Buenos Aires Website. Or you can read the article below.
Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Buenos Aires, Argentina (March 11, 2020)
Event: The government of Argentina announced upcoming enhanced screening and quarantine measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice. Visit the website of the Argentine Ministry of Health (in Spanish) for additional information on these new measures.
Public statements by Argentine government officials noted a 14-day self-isolation quarantine for anyone, regardless of nationality, arriving in Argentina who has visited a country with sustained transmission, including the United States, all European countries, China, Japan, South Korea, and Iran. Health screening measures are in place at the Buenos Aires International Airport and the Argentine authorities may quarantine individual travelers, including passengers transiting the International Airport, if the Argentine authorities determine the traveler to be a health risk. Failure to comply with the quarantine measure may be a criminal offense. A presidential decree with more details on self-isolation and travel restrictions is pending. Please refer to the Argentine Ministry of Health website (in Spanish) for further details.
Actions to Take:
- Consult the CDC websitefor the most up-to-date information.
- For the most recent information on what you can do to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19 please see the CDC’s latest recommendations.
- Visit the COVID-19 crisis page on travel.state.govfor the latest information.
- Check with your airlines or cruise lines regarding any updated information about your travel plans and/or restrictions.
- Visit our Embassy webpage on COVID-19for information on conditions in Argentina.
- Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s websiteon the latest travel restrictions to the U.S.
Assistance:
- Embassy Buenos Aires, Argentina
Av. Colombia 4300
(C1425GMN) Buenos Aires
Argentina
(54-11) 5777-4533
(54-11) 5777-4354 (after hours)
BuenosAires-ACS@state.gov
https://ar.usembassy.gov/ - State Department – Consular Affairs
888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444 - Argentina Country Information
- Enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program(STEP) to receive security updates
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