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HEALTH-VIRUS-BRAZIL-URUGUAY-DIPLOMACY
Brazil and Uruguay agree to close border for 30 days
MONTEVIDEO, March 23, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Brazil and Uruguay agreed on Sunday
to close their land border for the next 30 days, the Uruguayan foreign
minister said.
“Brazil has just issued a decree, which is the one we agreed upon, and we
will issue a mirror decree” in the next few hours, Ernesto Talvi said in a
statement.
According to the Brazilian ministerial decree, only Brazilian citizens or
residents, as well as Uruguayans who have Brazilian spouses or children, may
enter from the neighboring country.
Freight transport may continue to cross the border in both directions, and
the measure also allows for the free movement of those who reside in border
cities.
The Uruguayan decree will follow the same lines.
Brazil on Thursday announced it was closing its land borders for 15 days
to nearly all its neighbors to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
A ministerial decree said it was blocking entry “by road or land” from all
neighboring countries, with the exception of Uruguay to the south.
The decree, which went into immediate effect, prohibits entry to
foreigners from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana,
Paraguay, Peru and Suriname.
The restrictions do not apply to Brazilian nationals or to foreigners
residing in the country.
Trucks carrying goods and people on humanitarian missions are allowed to
continue to enter Brazil.
BSS/AFP/MSY/0849 hrs