Venezuela considers closing borders with Colombia and Brazil over COVID-19 - MPPRE

Venezuela considers closing borders with Colombia and Brazil over COVID-19

“We have consider closing the borders with Colombia and Brazil,” said on Thursday President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro. During a press conference with domestic and international reporters at the Miraflores Presidential Palace, the Venezuelan president asserted that “the first thing we need is coordination with the health authorities of the Colombian and Brazilian governments.” “That’s the first thing!” he insisted as he declared new preventative measures against COVID-19 in the country. He said he will insist on putting aside ideological differences, which he deemed trivial in the face of this pandemic. “We are going to insist a thousand times on putting aside our ideological differences, which are trivial in the face of this pandemic, so that we can effectively provide care to the population on the border and manage to avoid the spread of coronavirus from Colombia and Brazil,” he said. As he informed that the temporary  suspension of flights from Colombia and Europe will take effect from March 15 as one of the measures to prevent coronavirus (COVID-19), the Venezuelan president pointed out that his government will continue assessing the situation of flights from other regions and that “they will announce new measures if necessary.” 30 suspected cases of coronavirus ruled out Asked about the figures of suspected cases that have been ruled out so far, the Venezuelan president explained that they “had 30 suspected cases nationwide since the past three weeks. Fortunately, and thanks to the World Health Organization (WHO), we had the diagnostic tests conducted.” President Maduro recalled that “at the first sign, we tried to buy the coronavirus diagnostic test kits overseas, and international foreign companies said they were threatened with sanctions by the US government.” Presidential Press Office