Due to the situation of public calamity and the extension of the sanitary fence in the province of Luanda and municipality of Cazengo (province of Cuanza-Norte), regular international commercial flights to and from Angola remain suspended indefinitely and those that are allowed depend on approval authorities and involve laboratory tests to screen for covid-19, carried out up to 72 hours before boarding.
In a week when both TAP and TAAG have scheduled flights on the Luanda-Lisbon route, the Portuguese agency made a round of the main clinics in the city to try to schedule a test, a task that proved to be arduous and requires time and patience.
"We are not making appointments", they replied from Luanda Medical Center, indicating that this is "a punctual situation", without giving further explanations and asking to call again during the week.
Luanda Medical Center has been the private clinic of reference for carrying out the RT-PCR molecular-based tests, which are required pre-shipment or to be discharged after quarantine, imposed on those returning to Angola.
At Sagrada Esperança, it is possible to do rapid serological tests, which are mandatory for anyone who wants to travel to other provinces, since Luanda is under a health fence, and to schedule molecular tests, but the results take up to seven days, which would make any trip impossible week. Each test costs 220,000 kwanzas, they said by telephone.
The general number provided by Clínica Girassol requires some insistence until it is possible to speak to someone. But the answer is negative: "We don't do tests", informs the receptionist.
Mediag also does not and, sympathetically, suggests contact with Luanda Medical Center, as does other clinics contacted, Multiperfil, which does not have testing.
Lusa also tried to contact the public laboratories of the National Institute for Health Research (INIS), but without success.
The three numbers made available on the institute's website return an automatic message from Angola Telecom informing the “esteemed customers” that the service has been canceled.
Angola has recorded, since March to the present date, a total of 1935 cases, of which 88 deaths, 632 recovered and 1215 active, including five critically ill patients, with invasive mechanical ventilation and 19 severe ones.
The country has had its borders closed since March 20, but has allowed cargo flights and others, classified as humanitarian or repatriation, to be approved by the Angolan authorities.
Portugal also has restrictions on air traffic, allowing trips considered “essential” for flights originating in and to Portuguese-speaking countries and the USA, also under sanitary control measures.
Passengers must present a negative test carried out within 72 hours prior to departure, except for those in transit and not leaving airport facilities.
National and foreign citizens with legal residence in Portugal who, exceptionally, do not present the proof will have to take the test on arrival, at their own expense.
If they refuse to take the test on arrival, they incur the crimes of disobedience and the spread of contagious disease, and must do the same, at their own expense, within 48 hours.
In relation to foreign citizens, all passengers who embark without the test carried out are refused entry into Portuguese territory, with the airline being the object of an administrative offense in case of non-compliance.
