Portugal extends flight ban till April 15

Lisbon, March 30 The Portuguese government has announced that all flights to and from Brazil and the UK will remain suspended till April 15, in a bid to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to a statement from the Ministry of the Internal Administration issued on Monday, only humanitarian or repatriation flights from these countries will be allowed, as well as stopovers, with passengers having to undergo a 14-day quarantine, reports Xinhua news agency.

Passengers from these flights also have to present a negative PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, which is not older than 72 hours, upon arrival.

Citizens and residents from countries with an incidence rate equal to or greater than 150 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 inhabitants can only arrive in Portugal for trips classified as "essential".

( With inputs from IANS )