Foreigners who landed at the international airport of Guarulhos, in Greater São Paulo, this Sunday morning (26) stated that proof of vaccination against Covid-19 is randomly requested by the Brazilian authorities.
American Jessie Lewis, 29, arrived in São Paulo with personal trainer Paulo Moura, 31, and said she was not approached by the authorities on arrival, despite having a negative PCR test and proof of vaccination in her hands. “Before embarking, in the United States, I already had to present the test and the DSV (Traveller’s Health Declaration)”, he says. “When I arrived here, the order was made at random,” continued the American.
The personal trainer said he had to present the vaccine passport in a separate line for Brazilians. “I showed the receipt along with the passport at immigration, it was very quick,” he said.
American Christopher James, 22, also reports not having been charged by Brazilian authorities. “I thought it was going to take a while but I only had to show my passport and visa,” he says.
Coming from Spain, Brazilian Meire Jane says that the approach was different. “They gave me a paper as soon as they verified my proof of vaccination and I had to deliver it to immigration,” he said. Spaniards who were on the same flight did the same, she says.
A leaf asked for access to the International Arrivals area to verify the reporting of foreign passengers, but the airport concessionaire, GRU Airport, stated that access is prohibited.
Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) started to demand the vaccine passport from foreigners arriving in Brazil on the last 13th. The measure complied with the determination of Minister Luís Roberto Barroso, of the STF (Supreme Federal Court).
Barroso’s decision was a response to an appeal by the AGU (Attorney-General of the Union), which asked the magistrate the scope of his decision to determine the mandatory proof of vaccine against Covid-19 for people arriving in Brazil.
According to the determination, only those who come from countries that prove not to have available immunization agents or if they prove that they did not receive the application for medical reasons, are exempt from presenting the document.
When contacted, GRU Airport, the airport’s concessionaire, informed that Anvisa is responsible for answering about the verification of the vaccine’s passports. The report sought out Anvisa, but had no return.
intense movement
The national boarding area at Guarulhos airport had intense passenger traffic early this Sunday morning.
Queues to check luggage took up to two hours, according to passengers. “I arrived three hours earlier and I’m here feeling nervous,” says salesperson Alan Freitas, 28, who had been in line for more than an hour to leave for the northeast.
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused the cancellation of nearly 5,000 flights worldwide since Christmas Eve, according to the website FlightAware.
As of 10 am this Sunday, there were five domestic flights delayed and none cancelled, according to GRU Airport.
At the international shipping terminal, movement was also intense in the laboratories for testing Covid-19 installed close to the shipment.
Despite the requirement to present a negative test to enter many countries, passengers left to take the test a few hours before traveling. One of the companies installed at the terminal delivers the result within four hours.
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