|
Published Tuesday, May 12, 2020
More than 160 flights have been enabled for repatriated Costa Ricans By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Since the presidential emergency decree, 161 rescue flights have been made for the repatriation of Costa Ricans, announced on Monday the General Directorate of Civil Aviation. The government order issued on March 16 was a response to the pandemic.
Similarly, these flights have also allowed foreign citizens who were in Costa Rica to return to their countries of origin, the authorities said in its statement.
During this period, rescue flights had been coordinated with Copa Airlines, Avianca, LATAM, Lufthansa, KLM, United Airlines, Edelweiss, PARSA, AEROREGIONAL, Smartwings, WINGO, SATENA, and Air France.
The goal is to bring Costa Ricans from the airports of major cities such as Paris, Amsterdam, Houston, Miami, Vancouver, Santiago, Lima, Zurich, Frankfurt, Quito, and Caracas. In addition to countries such as Argentina, Colombia, Israel, Honduras, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, among others.
According to the authorities, more rescue flights are still in the process of being authorized in the coming days, from Panama, Argentina, the United States and Italy.
The most recent rescue flights that arrived in the country were on May 4 and 8 from Houston, Texas, in the U.S. where 160 Ticos returned to the country, the Foreign Ministry reported.
"The Government of Costa Rica thanks the Government of the United States and its Embassy in San José for helping the return of this group of Costa Ricans," said the ministry in its statement.
Ticos have been arriving from Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, California, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida, New Jersey and New York, as well as from countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Suriname and Canada.
From the city of Houston alone, 608 Costa Ricans have been repatriated in the past three weeks, the ministry said. Houston is the largest city in Texas, which is the second largest state in the U.S.
These special flights and the “air bridge” plan established between both countries have been possible thanks to the efforts and coordination established by the Costa Rican Foreign Ministry with the United States Government. More specifically the U.S. Embassy in the country and United Airline allowed the successful repatriation of U.S. citizens to their country and the return to Costa Rica of Costa Rican citizens and their immediate families, the ministry said.
All of these people remained in the United States, as a result of the border closures and the following cancellation of flights, caused by the global pandemic of covid-19.
The Ministry announced that it will continue the process of offering special flights to Costa Ricans who are waiting for help to return to the country.
The border closure decree was extended until June 15, announced Michael Soto, Minister of Security.
On May 1, the authorities reported 7,857 Costa Ricans who entered the
country. Only two have been confirmed as infected with
the virus.
According to Daniel Salas, minister of Health, the two
passengers who arrived on a flight from the United
States on April 17, tested positive with covid-19.
"They were all approached immediately, a report was
made on the record of the places where they were, was
made physical examinations, but 20 of them had to
undergo a medical test and two were given positive for
coronavirus," Salas said.
That happened on April 21, when the Ticos arrived at
the Juan Santamaría International
Airport in Alajuela Province from a United
Airlines flight that departed the George Bush
Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, reported
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
All passengers received a mandatory health order that
requires them to be quarantined in isolation at their
homes for 14 days, the ministry said.
Regarding the Ticos who have requested government help
to return to the country, the Ministry of Foreign
Relations reported that almost 1,450 people have
already returned to the country.
Representatives of the ministry of Health delivered
the quarantine sanitary orders to this group of
passengers, in the same way that it has done with
almost 8,000 people who have entered the country
during the crisis due to the covid-19.
Those who dismiss the isolation order will be fined
₡450,200 colones, the equivalent of $794 USD.
---------------- Have you heard of expats who have returned to their countries with the help of special flights for returnees? We
would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send
your comments to news@amcostarica.com
|