Border restrictions likely to be extended until Easter – ministry

Portugal’s minister of internal administration, Eduardo Cabrita, on Thursday said in Madrid that the current restrictions on land borders between Portugal and Spain should be extended until Easter to slow the spread of Covid-19.

“What we will do is extend these restrictions until Easter,” Eduardo Cabrita said on the sidelines of ceremonies commemorating the European Day for the Victims of Terrorism.

Cabrita acknowledged that the indicators of the fight against the pandemic are improving, both in Spain and Portugal, which today has one of the lowest levels in Europe.

“I hope that this evolution consolidates allowing then to reopen, [which is] what we all want, a movement with precaution, but a full movement between Portugal and Spain,” he said.

The Portuguese minister, who is in Madrid as part of the current Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union, will have the opportunity to informally address this issue and also that of restrictions on movement between all member states of the 27 at a lunch on Thursday with the Spanish minister of internal administration, Fernando Grande-Marlaska and the European Commissioner in the same area, Ylva Johansson.

The borders between Portugal and Spain have been closed since 31 January due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with only authorised crossing points for the international transport of goods, cross-border and duly-documented seasonal workers, and emergency vehicles.

These measures were jointly agreed by the two countries, after Lisbon decided on 28 January to limit travel outside mainland Portugal by any means of transport and to reinstate control at land borders.

At the time Lisbon and Madrid stipulated eight permanent crossing points between the two countries, in Valença, Vila Verde da Raia, Quintanilha, Vilar Formoso, Marvão, Caia, Vila Verde and Castro Marim, and six other crossing points with specific opening times.

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused at least 2,621,295 deaths worldwide, resulting from more than 117.9 million cases of infection, according to an assessment made by the French agency AFP.

In Portugal, 16,617 people have died out of 811,948 confirmed cases of infection, according to the latest bulletin from the country’s national health authority, the DGS.