Thanks to LANCELOT DIGITAL – The requirements to move between islands at Easter
The Ministry of Health, through the Directorate of the Canary Islands Health Service, regulates the limitation of inter-island mobility established in the specific and temporary measures for the containment of COVID-19 for Easter. The resolution, which is expected to be published tomorrow, Monday in the BOC, determines that all passengers traveling between the islands, between March 26 and April 9, must submit a responsible statement proving the reason for the displacement. For those trips that are not adequately justified for any of the reasons included in section 1.4.2 of the Government Agreement of June 19, 2020 and its successive updates,
This limitation on the entry and exit of people between the islands will be in effect from 00:00 hours on March 26 until midnight on April 9 and affects inter-island travel by air or sea, regardless of the level alert on the island and the place of habitual residence of the person who moves.
The limitation does not affect travel between the islands of La Graciosa and Lanzarote for residents of the former. Neither to trips with origin or destination abroad or in the rest of the national territory, which will be governed by its specific regulations, nor to stopovers made in the Canary Islands with origin and destination abroad or in the rest of the national territory , when they are for a limited time that does not allow the exit of the port or airport enclosure.
Cases in which inter-island movements can be made
Inter-island movements are restricted to the following duly accredited cases:
Assistance to health centers, services and establishments.
Compliance with labor, professional, business, institutional or legal obligations.
Assistance to university, teaching and educational centers, including early childhood education schools, as well as language academies and educational reinforcement of subjects included in formal education curricula, conservatories and music schools, or for the preparation of selection processes in academies or training centers.
Return to the place of habitual or family residence.
Assistance and care for the elderly, minors, dependents, people with disabilities or especially vulnerable people.
Travel to financial and insurance entities or refueling stations in neighboring territories.
Required or urgent actions before public, judicial or notarial bodies.
Renewals of permits and official documentation, as well as other administrative procedures that cannot be postponed.
Taking official exams or tests that cannot be postponed.
Assistance and care of domestic animals or farms.
National or international professional or federated training or competitions.
Due to force majeure or situation of need.
Any other activity of a similar nature, duly accredited.
In addition to the aforementioned cases, it is possible to travel between islands when a negative diagnostic test for active infection (PDIA) is presented, carried out in the 72 hours prior to arrival at the destination, which will not be considered as a public health system health benefit.
Proof of the reason for the posting
To prove the reason for the trip, a responsible declaration will be presented with the document model that will be made available to passengers on the SCS website and that must also be provided by the airlines and maritime companies.
The responsible declaration will be collected and verified by the companies before boarding, and passengers who do not provide the document will not be authorized. Likewise, airlines and maritime lines must keep this documentation at the disposal of the health authorities and their agents for three months, without prejudice to the control measures that may be carried out, with the corresponding responsibilities in the event of non-existence or falsehood.
Active infection diagnostic test (PDIA)
Those passengers who travel for any reason not included in the exceptions justified in the rule, will also have to present a Diagnostic Test of Active Infection for SARS-CoV-2 with a negative result, carried out within 72 hours prior to arrival at the place of destination. This requirement will not be required for children under 6 years of age.
The diagnostic tests admitted, at the passenger’s choice, will be: PCR (RT-PCR of COVID-19); Rapid detection test for SARS-CoV-2 antigens with a specificity of more than 97% and a sensitivity of more than 80%, according to the corresponding approval of a country of the European Union or the European Economic Area; o Transcription Mediated Amplification (TMA).
The supporting documentation for the test must be the original, written in Spanish and may be submitted in paper or electronic format. The document will contain, at least, the following information: name and surname of the traveler, DNI number, NIE, passport or national document or identity card, date of completion, identification and contact information of the authorized health center that performs the test, technique used and negative result. In the case of antigen tests, it must also reflect the homologated specificity and sensitivity.
The PDIA will not be considered a public health system healthcare provision, so it will not be carried out by the SCS in its own or subsidized centers, although the latter may carry it out privately. In no case will it be paid or reimbursed by the SCS. As an exception, on the island of El Hierro it will be carried out by the SCS, as there are no accredited private laboratories, but the corresponding public prices will be billed to those interested.
Once the PDIA has been carried out and prior to the trip, passengers will send the analytical results electronically to the address pdiasviajes@gobiernodecanarias.org . The receipt will be collected and verified by the airlines and shipping companies before boarding, which will not be authorized to travelers who do not provide the negative PDIA.
The voucher will remain in the possession of its holder at the disposal of the health authorities and their agents, who may require its presentation during the trip, demanding the corresponding responsibilities in the event of non-existence or falsification of the evidence. At the entry points on each island, passengers may be requested, at any time, to accredit the result of the PDIA.
PDIAs must be carried out in authorized health centers, services and establishments, in accordance with the Order of the Ministry of Health of November 2, 2020, which establishes the requirements for conducting diagnostic tests for the detection of COVID-19 in the Canary Islands.
Obligations of tour and transport operators
Travel agencies, tour operators, air or maritime transport companies and any other agent that sells air or sea tickets must inform passengers, at the beginning of the ticket sales process that involve inter-island travel in the Canary Islands, of the established derivative obligations.
In relation to the responsible declaration, they must inform and provide passengers, collect and verify it before boarding, keep it at the disposal of the health authorities and their agents for a period of three months, and prevent the boarding of passengers who do not provide it. .
With respect to the negative PDIA, they must collect and verify their proof before boarding people 6 years of age or older and prevent boarding from those who do not provide it.
Information to citizens
After the publication of the resolution in the BOC, the SCS will make available to the public all the information related to these measures, necessary forms and other information of interest on its website.
