Astonishment and uncertainty on ‘last flight’ between Mozambique and Portugal – Lusa

30
Astonishment and uncertainty on ‘last flight’ between Mozambique and Portugal – Lusa
Astonishment and uncertainty on ‘last flight’ between Mozambique and Portugal – Lusa

Africa-Press – Mozambique. It was night in Maputo by the time it was announced, on Friday, that flights to Portugal would be suspended. Orlando Marques hurried and still managed to get last minute tickets for himself and his two daughters.

Today he caught the last flight to Lisbon to join his wife, just before the suspension of flights between the two countries announced for 00:00 Monday, as part of the closing of Europe’s doors to Southern Africa, to prevent the entry of a new variant of the Covid-19 virus.

For Orlando it was an unexpected expense of 4,500 euros for three one-way tickets on TAP, something that “was not in the least in the plans”, but ” this is an emergency situation”, in this case, a family reunion.

An expense with another aggravating factor: having a negative vaccine or test does not free anyone from a 14-day quarantine on arrival in Portugal, something which he sees as “a lesser evil”.

The greater evil would be “being away from the family” during the festive season, because after today’s flight it is not known when will there be more connections to Portugal, although the restrictions do provide for exceptions, namely humanitarian or repatriation flights – but without details.

Read: U.S. imposes travel ban from eight African countries, Mozambique included, over Omicron variant

Orlando Marques and his two daughters leave on the same plane which brought in Carolina and Rui Alves, arriving from Lisbon for ten days of humanitarian work in Mozambique.

Only upon landing did they learn that flights will be suspended indefinitely, so now they’ll have to figure out how to travel back to Portugal.

“We were scheduled to return on the 6th, but now we don’t know,” said Carolina.

The measures are “the usual, it’s more of the same”, Rui exclaims, with Carolina adding that the measure doesn’t seem the most appropriate in a context where “people are vaccinated and tested” before travelling.

Opinions are divided

Mário Marques was in Mozambique on business. On Friday night he raced to the computer to get tickets for today’s flight, because “from now on, one doesn’t know” how things will turn out.

“These are measures which are undoubtedly justified, given that there’s this new variant and this being a time of the year when there is a lot of people travelling. We need to prevent a more significant spread” of Covid, he said.

Marques expresses understanding despite his losses: he had to cancel the meetings he had schedule in Mozambique and, when he arrives in Portugal, he will still have to adapt to a quarantine.

Read: UAE suspends entry of travellers from South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique effective November 29

A little behind him, at the entrance to the international terminal of Maputo airport, is Fernando Amaral, who owns companies in Mozambique and had already been deprived of being in the country for several months due to the pandemic.

Now he has been forced to cancel meetings and return to Portugal earlier than scheduled.

“I had a flight scheduled for the 4th, but I still managed to get a ticket for this one – at midnight”, he explains. Amaral had to pay the extra cost for anticipating his flight and he learned from Lusa that he will have to comply with a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival.

“I think this is a bit exaggerated, because if people are vaccinated, I think it might be that they are being a bit too cautious,” he said.

Catarina Luz was also unaware of the quarantine on arrival, another new measure announced on Friday night.

“If I’m forced to, I’ll have to do it. I have to see, with my work, how I’m going to do it,” she said on her way to the departure lounge.

A situation that seems to be more distressing for some Mozambican parents saying goodbye to their children, on their way to study in Portugal, and who also learnt from Lusa that there is a 14-day quarantine to comply with upon arrival.

“This way, it gets difficult. Classes have already started, there have already been exams, we are behind schedule”, due to the visa attribution process and adding another 14 days to the scenario is adding to uncertainties, complains Carla Bacar.

“I didn’t know about the quarantine and he never went to Portugal,” she laments, as she gives her son a last hug.

Oelza Machava, another student leaving for Portugal, calms the spirits: “I think the teachers will understand,” says the architecture student in Évora who is happy to be booked on the last flight before the suspension of connections.

“Knowing that from Monday they will close doors, I was happy” to still be able to get to Portugal, so that “staying in quarantine is the least of my worries”. Oelza believes that she will have help from her colleagues in the logistics of mandatory quarantine.

But no consensus

“I believe that this is a little unreasonable, because it takes everyone by surprise. It would be easier to put a brigade there [in Portugal]” testing everyone on arrival, suggests Luis Friães.

Standing next to him, Dipak Govan learns from Lusa that flights are suspended as of Monday and reacts with incredulity.

“Oh, is it so? TAP should fly to Mozambique. We need them to. The PALOPs [Portuguese-Speaking African countries] need TAP,” he said.

Herman Garcia is in transit to Barcelona and questions the measures.

“Sometimes there are hasty decisions, but it is an extraordinary situation and one has to be patient,” he concludes.

For More News And Analysis About Mozambique Follow Africa-Press

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here