COVID-19: Chile reopens land borders after three years

Chile announced the reopening on Sunday of 22 land border crossings closed since March 17, 2020 with Argentina, Bolivia and Peru, due to the coronavirus epidemic.

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Only goods could pass through these crossing points, which were closed to the movement of people.

“This Sunday, May 1, traffic at the border will be normalized,” said the Twitter account of the Chilean Ministry of the Interior’s border service.

The epidemic has stabilized in Chile, although health measures continue to apply, mainly to non-resident foreigners.

Three levels of alert are in place and this Sunday, the borders must operate according to level 1 meaning that there are no restrictions on travel inside or outside the country.

Pre-travel PCR testing is only recommended, but upon arrival in Chile, travelers may be randomly tested. A health form must be completed and non-resident aliens must also have health insurance in case they seek treatment for COVID-19.

If the alert returns to maximum level 3, it will be back to restrictions.

In November, Santiago airport was reopened, followed by terminals in the cities of Antofagasta and Iquique (north) and Punta Arenas (south) and then five border crossings with Argentina on December 22.

Chile, a country of more than 19 million people, has recorded 3.5 million coronavirus cases and 57,539 deaths since March 8, 2020.


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