Article 5 of the Constitution states that “no Salvadoran may be expatriated, nor may he be denied entry into the territory of the Republic, nor may he be denied a passport for return or other identification documents.”
El Salvador joins the list of countries banning flights from the United Kingdom and South Africa due to the emergence of a new strain of COVID-19, according to President Nayib Bukele.
The ban includes people who have been in these countries for the past 30 days.
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However, the measure is unconstitutional, as Article 5 states that “no Salvadoran may be expatriated, denied entry into the Republic, or denied a passport for return or other identification. “.
In September last year, the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) ruled that “No authority may refuse the entry into the territory of Salvadorans who, on arrival at San Óscar Arnulfo Romero and Galdámez International Airport, or at any other point authorized to from abroad, do not present PCR that tests negative for COVID-19, as this would in practice imply a ban on entry into the country. “
The magistrates in Salt also warned that “banning the entry of Salvadorans and permanent residents in the terms explained, in case of materialization, would violate the precautionary measure mentioned above and therefore will have no effect.”
Several European countries began banning flights from the United Kingdom on Sunday, after the discovery of a more contagious variant of coronavirus circulating “out of control” in that country and before which the WHO called for “tightening controls”.
According to international media, British government scientists have identified 17 linked mutations in the virus’s genetic code that make him suspect that this newly discovered strain is more infectious and spreads more easily.
The scientific director of the government, Patrick Vallance, indicated that the strain – known as VUI 202012/01 – could have originated in London or Kent (south-east of England) in September.
“This new variant not only advances rapidly, but also becomes the dominant variant”, exposed the.
The WHO ruled on the matter on Sunday and said that in addition “Among the preliminary indications that the variant could be more contagious”, the strain in question “It could also affect the effectiveness of diagnostic methods”, Yes, “According to preliminary information”.
Vast sections of the south-east of Britain, including the capital of London, are now under new and stricter restrictions to slow the rapid spread of the virus.
The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Austria, Ireland and Germany have announced the suspension of flights from the United Kingdom due to this new strain, and France, Austria and Spain believe that they will take similar measures.
It is not the first time that the government of El Salvador has restricted the entry of travelers due to the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic, in January, banned the entry of people from China, then Central America or travelers from Spain, China, South Korea, Iran, France and Germany.
Several European countries began banning flights from the United Kingdom on Sunday, after the discovery of a more contagious variant of coronavirus circulating “out of control” in that country and before which the WHO called for “tightening controls”.