Peru authorizes flights to the US, Mexico, Costa Rica and seven other countries

Starting November 1, Peru will resume international flights to 24 destinations in 10 countries in the Americas, including the United States and Mexico, after a first reopening earlier this month that ended a seven-month suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the government announced Wednesday.

“From November, 24 air routes will be enabled to 10 countries in North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean. These flights have a range of 8 hours in duration,” the Ministry of Transport and Communications said on Twitter.

The Peruvian transportation authority said that the new authorized countries are the United States, Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Brazil and Argentina.

In the case of Colombia, where flights to Bogotá have been permitted since October 5, the city of Cartagena will also be authorized.

Peru had restarted international flights on October 5, with seven countries within four hours away by flight: Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Panama, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile.

To enter Peru, passengers from authorized countries must present a negative molecular test for Covid-19. Failure to do so will result in deportation.

“We are going to be much more strict and we will coordinate with the airlines because if someone arrives without their molecular proof, we will immediately put them on the plane back to their place of origin,” said President Martín Vizcarra.

Peru closed its borders on March 16, which was a serious blow to tourism. Since then, it has only allowed repatriation flights for foreign citizens stranded by the pandemic.

Peru registers more than 33,900 deaths from Covid-19 (with the highest mortality rate in the world, with 103 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants) and almost 877,000 confirmed cases.