Ecuador suspends authorizations for humanitarian return flights
The Government Minister, María Paula Romo, reported that humanitarian flights to Ecuador will be suspended until the quarantine of those who have already arrived in the country ends, although she did not specify how many Ecuadorians there are, she noted that the first flights have been made these days.
So far, 691 Ecuadorians have returned on humanitarian flights , the Foreign Ministry reported.
“At no time have humanitarian flights been closed or are going to be closed, but this has to be done with a calendar and in compliance with a certain order,” said Romo, announcing that several of the returned Ecuadorians are failing to comply with the isolation, they want to leave with safe passages to other provinces.
As long as it is not possible to clearly establish the personnel required to control the “lack of isolation” that is occurring, the authorizations for humanitarian flights will be suspended and rescheduled in time.
“The experience that we have had in these days has not been good, those who even sign the conditions of Mandatory Preventive Isolation (APO), of course, not all, but we have many cases, they come to Ecuador, they refuse to do isolation, they want They have gone to other provinces, they have issued safeguards that do not correspond, they refuse to comply with the provisions and we cannot take this risk ”.
Romo recalled the case of the 12 passengers who came, without authorization, on a flight from Houston. Yesterday, 11 of those 12 passengers tested positive for COVID-19, “you have to take precautions.”
Although there are other unofficial figures, days ago, Foreign Minister José Valencia pointed out that there are around 2,500 Ecuadorians abroad who are seeking to return to the country.