Tailbacks of several kilometres reported at borders with Portugal

TAILBACKS of several kilometres have been reported at the borders between Spain and Portugal due to mobility restrictions.

Spain’s neighbour to the west has closed its borders and police only allow people through with a justified reason. Drivers are having to be extremely patient, and will need to continue to be for at least the next two weeks while the restrictions are in place.

The main problems were reported at the border in Tui, Pontevedra, into Valença do Minho. Most of the vehicles in the queue were lorries.

Portugal ended January with 5,576 deaths and 306,838 people infected. It had the highest infection rate in the EU of the last 14 days: 1,429.43 people per 100,000 inhabitants according to the ECDC. The country also has the highest death rate: 247.55 people per 1 million inhabitants.

Germany is sending doctors to Portugal to help deal with the patients, as in the current situation, they say there is no point in admitting more people to hospital because there are not enough doctors to look after them. Austria, meanwhile, has promised to receive patients who are in critical condition.

Spain has said that it will study how to help Portugal, “within its means”, but there is no suggestion of when this help may be given.

Slight tailbacks and delays getting into France have also been reported, where a negative PCR test is required to enter by road or rail from any EU country, carried out 72 hours or less in advance.

Anyone living within 30 kilometres from the borders with France, transporters and cross-border workers are not required to provide the negative test.

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