- 13 Cases Confirmed in Peru; 8 in Lima, 1 in Arequipa, 2 in Chincha and 2 in Huanuco
- Government has started taking preventive measures
- All schools in Peru closed till March 31
- All travelers to Peru coming from China, Italy, France and Spain will be isolated for 14 days upon arrival to Peru
As of today, Wednesday March 11, 2020, the Peruvian Government has announced its first preventive measures against the Corona Virus that has the world in its ban. The two major announcements made this morning are;
All schools (private and state) will be closed till March 31. Before the end of the month there will be another analysis and this closure could be extended.
All travelers to Peru (foreign and nationals) from the following 4 countries; China, Italy, France and Spain will be held in quarantaine for 14 days after the date they left one of these countries. This means that travelers arriving from these countries can best not travel to Peru as they will not be allowed access for 14 days from the moment of arrival. In case you would have planned to arrive to Peru from any of these countries within the month of March, you need to cancel your plans or make serious adjustments. If this would be the case for you, get in touch as soon as possible with your travel agent. For those who would arrive to Peru from any of these 4 destinations by a connecting flight or layover in China, Italy, France or Spain, the situation is still unclear. It is recommended not to take any risk and avoid arrivals to Peru from these destinations.
Apart from these two measures, no other preventive measures have been announced but the government indicated to be analysing the situation constantly and that additional measures may be necessary.
Finally it is worth mentioning that the number of confirmed cases has remained 11 and so far no fatalities have occured. The measures taken may seem harsh but do seem the best way forward in order to avoid the virus from spreading.
As individual travelers, we can also contribute and make sure to apply additional hygiene, especially when traveling and passing through larger passenger hubs. Following some general recommendations;
- Wash your hands frequently
- Maintain social distancing
- Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
- Practice respiratory hygiene
- If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early
