Salud
Officials Say Costa Rica Has The Right To
Deny Entry To Anyone Infected With The Virus
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Salud
Officials Say Costa Rica Has The Right To
Deny Entry To Anyone Infected With The Virus
The Costa Rican government is firm that will
not limit the travel of foreigners with flu
symptoms AH1N1 to Costa Rica. But, it will,
once they touch down on Costa Rican soil, be
turned back to their point of origin if the
determined by the medical team at the
airport to be infected.
Three days back the ministerio de Salud
(Health Ministry) had announced that
foreigners who were showing symptoms of the
influenza would not be allowed to leave
their country. However, the airlines argued
their inability to limit departures.
The announcement was made by the vice-ministra
de Salud, Ana Morice, after meeting with top
airlines officials serving the Juan
Santamaría (San Jose) airport.
"What the airlines told us that they had no
problems with the travel and arrival in
Costa Rica, but felt that the check-in
personnel did not have the required skills
to determine is a person should travel or
not," said Morice following her meeting with
the airlines on Wednesday.
In effect, Morice explained, Costa Rica
cannot impede a person from travelling to
the country, but can sumbit a person to a
medical check once arrived, and it will be
up to a doctor in Costa Rica to determine if
the person will be allowed or denied entry.
Morice was emphatic that Costa Rica has the
power to decide as a country on an entry
from abroad. "What we want is for the
airlines to cooperate and inform the person
before they buy the airline ticket, that it
will be up to the foreigner to make a
decision to decide whether or not to travel
to Costa Rica," said the vice-ministra.
The vice-ministra was clear that the
airlines should warn the traveller that if
they are showing signs of infection they
will not be allowed to enter country once
they face immigration officials in Costa
Rica.
Morice added that the strict guidelines are
being applied mainly to travellers from
Mexico and the United States, countries that
have large cases of the AH1N1 virus
infection and will be applied to other
countries, depending on the situation of the
day.
Asked if the decision to deny entry is
unconstitutional, Morice explained that the
country, as a sovereign nation, the right to
deny entry to anyone. "I am asking that the
airlines co-operate and inform passengers",
said Morice.
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