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TANAISTE AND FOREIGN Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has confirmed that the government is arranging a charter flight to fly Irish citizens out of Peru, after the country announced it was to close its borders.
There are currently 135 Irish citizens in Peru.
In an interview with the Peruvian television channel ‘Canal N’, Defence Minister Walter Martos said that from last night, Peru’s borders would close completely.
Up until now, the Peruvian authorities had been assisting with repatriation efforts from various countries.
In recent days, the Department of Foreign Affairs has been keeping in touch with Irish citizens stranded there to advise them on the best course of action. It has also been liaising with the UK government about arranging a flight to repatriate British and Irish citizens to London.
Speaking to RTÉ’s This Week, Coveney confirmed that an agreement has now been reached with British Airways and Aer Lingus to charter a flight to Lima to bring home Irish and UK citizens.
The flight will be operated by British Airways and is expected to fly in the middle of next week.
Around 60 to 70 of the Irish citizens in Peru are in the capital of Lima, while the rest are elsewhere in the country.
“We will need to try to get all of those Irish citizens to Lima in the next few days and then picked up by a charter flight which we now have an agreement on,” Coveney said.
Yesterday evening, the the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said that Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab had secured permission for a UK-organised flight to leave Peru for “early next week” following a call with his Peruvian counterpart.
Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra has announced a state of emergency and a 15-day military lockdown to be imposed on Monday – with all land, sea and air borders to close.
There are currently 263 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Peru, compared with 785 in Ireland, which hasn’t imposed the same strict measures in response to the pandemic.
So for tourists who had been travelling in the country, the announcement wasn’t expected, and didn’t give them enough time to leave the country before the lockdown came into force.
A nighttime curfew has since been put in place from 8pm-5am, and Irish people have reported that the measures being imposed are becoming more extreme.
With reporting by Gráinne Ní Aodha
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Will they be tested.???
@Stevo The Man On A Mission Returns: the man from Del Monte says yes.
@Stevo The Man On A Mission Returns: oh shut up. Think we’ve enough here to test
@Stevo The Man On A Mission Returns: they will certainly be quarantined. If not then we are really not good at risk mitigation.
@Stevo The Man On A Mission Returns: only if they are showing symptoms… if there is no need they wont be tested. Well done Simon Coveney.
@Paul O’Sullivan: The incubation period is two to fourteen days. They could have it and not display symptoms. They should be tested.
I just heard black rock park is packed with families, what is wrong with people, we need tighter measures now
@Nan: Is Woodies in Swords selling the vaccine??? Last time I saw a queue that long was for a Bay City Rollers concert !!
@james dimaggio: just shocking, the same people will be crying in 10 days time, that they have to wait on a test, we’re putting our lives and our families at risk for what, the government needs to act now
@Nan: went for a walk last night. Over the course of the 1 & 1/2 hours I saw 4 different groups of teenagers all chatting and mingling like normal. They are just not getting the message. Lockdown may be the only option
@james dimaggio: buying lettuce seeds & planters to follow Green advice.
@Nan: It’s shocking. I don’t know what’s wrong with people. There is plenty of space to get your family out for air if you plan it well. I had my small one up the ox mountains today, we didn’t see a sinner, it’s not hard to do.
The Government that the Irish electorate rejected are doing an outstanding job .
Fair play to Peru, Why don’t these people stay there? May as well be isolated in Peru as anywhere else.
@Dermot Byrne: Are you for real? Stay in Peru? Maybe the fact some people have jobs and a life to come hole to. I doubt money grows on trees in Peru either to support an extended holiday either.
@Dermot Byrne: the Peruvians think the foreigners brought the virus. Very hostile.
@Dermot Byrne: I wouldn’t fancy getting corona virus 3399 m above sea level. It’s a harsh environment on breathing on a normal day.
Great news, well done
Tell them to go hiking in the Andes, no C19 up there.
Correct disinfectant use:
I would expect these holidaymakers to pay for this themselves. would love to know how many started their trip after March 1st???
Your comparison of the number of coronavirus cases in Ireland as compared to Peru, giving as the reason as the draconian measures implemented by Peru that this country has not taken on board, is quite misleading.
You give no context of the Peruvian experience of the virus as compared to ours, for example the numbers of Peruvians that have returned from their holidays in the Italian Alps, or how the health service in Peru compares with ours as cross infection to our front line staff is a significant issue.
What your unwarranted scold does is give oxygen to the doomsday cult that has come forth during this crisis, those who await the daily numbers like a lotto junkie, looking for every opportunity to proclaim armageddon if they rise and sulk in disappointment if they don’t.
Why not send the air corps? Or don’t we have a plane that can go that far.
@Red Pirate 71: Air Corps don’t have and don’t need a Boeing 777 ER.
have your say