Portugal against mandatory quarantine for those arriving in the country
The European Union is in negotiations on the matter, but the Portuguese Government points out that the EU's position is that "general quarantines should not be adopted unilaterally."
Portugal is not considering imposing a mandatory quarantine on those arriving in the country but may do so in the framework of European Union (EU) negotiations, according to the Diário de Notícias on Tuesday. The Ministry of Internal Administration assures that Portugal has the same view as the European Commission “that general quarantines should not be adopted unilaterally.”
With the deconfinement, several European countries have imposed 14-day quarantines on those who arrive in the country, even though they do not show symptoms of Covid-19. This is the case in Spain. The ministry led by Eduardo Cabrita did not answer to the DN newspaper on possible negotiations between Portugal and other countries to exempt national citizens from this obligation.
The Minister for State and the Presidency, Mariana Vieira da Silva, had already said, on Monday in an interview with TVI, that emigrants are out of this obligation when they pass through Spain to return to Portuguese territory. “The possibilities for emigrants to return by land exist, as they always have,” said Vieira da Silva, stressing that passing through Spain by car is different from staying in the country.
