MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

No more PCR tests or vax cards to enter Chile

Unvaccinated travelers will be allowed into the country but they might still be banned from certain activities, Cuadrado explained

Chile has lifted the requirement to submit a negative PCR test or proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for foreigners wishing to enter the country, effective Thursday, it was announced.

Health Undersecretary Cristóbal Cuadrado also explained that unvaccinated travelers will be allowed into the country but they might still be banned from certain activities where the immunization passport is necessary, such as restaurants, cinemas, or gyms.

Cuadrado added that “non-resident tourists could be subjected to a random test upon arrival” and will need to fill in a form.

With 3.5 million infected and 57,094 total deaths, Chile has been one of the countries with the greatest restrictions to curb the pandemic and the most demanding protocols for the entry of travelers.

The Chilean Government also announced the full opening of land borders as of May. So far, international travel is allowed by air and through a limited number of crossings.
Removing facemasks outdoors is also possible now in 14 of the country's 16 regions, including Santiago's Metropolitan Region, where almost 8 of the 19 million inhabitants live.

But face covers will remain mandatory in the regions of Arica and Tarapacá, and on Easter Island, 3,000 kilometers into the Pacific Ocean.

However, the Government warned that all these measures could be undone, depending on the epidemiological situation.

Infections that once reached almost 40,000 in a single day have been cut down to only 1,478 new cases in the previous 24 hours, with 13 deaths.

Patients in intensive care units have also decreased from 1,000 to less than 500, most of whom do not have the complete vaccination scheme. Over 83% of the population has been injected with two doses and 14 million Chileans are reported to have taken a booster shot.