RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazil has become the top global center of new Covid-19 deaths, and Brazilians rank 2nd among tourists facing the most restrictions at airports abroad, behind only South Africans.
Brazilians are faced with harsh obstacles in 116 countries or territories, according to a survey based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Skyscanner, (an online airline ticket purchasing company).
South Africa is ahead of Brazil (with 119 locations imposing severe restrictions), and next in line is the United Kingdom, with 114. These three countries have detected high-risk mutations of the novel coronavirus.
While the number may seem very high, it should be noted that, on average, each of the 233 locations analyzed faces tough restrictions in 100 countries or territories. Many countries have either closed their airports, only allowing nationals to enter, or imposed requirements such as quarantine.
The fact that Brazil is above the average is due to the fact that some countries have included Brazilians in a stricter list. In Colombia, for example, flights from Brazil and the UK have been suspended. In the USA and Peru, passengers who have been or passed through Brazil in the last 14 days are banned from entering the country.
Restrictions on Brazilians are a reflection not only of the emergence of a strain of the disease in the country, but also because Brazil is nearing 3,000 confirmed cases in the daily rolling average. Currently, over 20% of new Covid-19 deaths worldwide have been registered in Brazil – first place in this ranking.
In January, Brazilian tourists spent US$308 million abroad, compared to US$1.4 billion in the same month last year, when the disease was not yet a reality in the country, according to Central Bank data. Figures from the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) point to a similar situation: 221,000 passengers left the country’s airports to travel abroad in January this year, 900,000 fewer than a year ago.
In contrast to Brazil, South Africa and the United Kingdom are Cyprus, Bulgaria and New Zealand (all with 80 severe restrictions) as the countries experiencing the least obstacles in traveling abroad at the moment.
Source: Valor Investe