Santiago, Correspondent –The Chilean Ministry of Health made announcements regarding the «Opening of the Seguimos Cuidándonos Plan» which refers to changes in the use of masks (chinstraps) and capacity limitations in open and closed places for the whole country, among other issues.
Although the WHO still maintains the health emergency, the director of the Organization made it clear that he foresees the end of the pandemic in the near future, to which several countries have reacted to the message.
Chile has maintained in recent weeks a positivity rate below 10%, which means that, among other announcements, the obligatory use of masks in closed places with public (such as airports, restaurant entrances, etc.) will be eliminated as of October 1, 2022, except in health facilities where it will continue to be mandatory, in addition to its use in people with symptoms, cases of suspicion, close contact and confirmed cases of COVID-19.
In addition, the limitation of capacity in open and closed spaces and the use of the Mobility Pass (C-19) is eliminated, which is not a minor issue since for concerts and soccer matches the entries were limited depending on the alert status of the city and the vaccinations that each person had.
Chile will maintain random testing depending on the needs of each area prioritized by the health authority (such as, for example, although not confirmed, Rapa Nui), in addition to maintaining the Health Residences for confirmed cases of the virus.
Open borders but with control
As informed by the Ministry in the Opening Plan Communiqué, there will be no travel restrictions for travel to and from Chile. Isolation will be carried out according to the general health regulations for a confirmed case, for which a Vaccination Certificate or negative PCR (for people without vaccinations) will be requested no more than 48 hours prior to travel, as long as they are not resident travelers.
Upon entry to Chile, random testing will be maintained only for residents, but these tests will be reduced from 10% to 5% for each traveler.
