Covid-19: Argentina and Brazil to conduct joint surveillance at border crossings

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – As reported in a statement by the Argentine Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, health surveillance tasks will be performed at border posts linking Paso de los Libres (Argentina) with Uruguayana (Brazil) and Santo Tomé (Argentina) with São Borja (Brazil).

“This project must be implemented. The pandemic posed tremendous challenges to our countries. Conducting active molecular epidemiological surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in neighboring cities requires us to take every precaution and be on the lookout for new variants,” said the Argentine Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Daniel Filmus during the presentation of the project.

According to the press release, the epidemiological surveillance project will consist of sequencing samples taken from carriers who test positive for Covid-19 at border crossings or show symptoms upon arrival at the border. In addition, active surveillance for virus variants will be conducted in border towns in the Argentine province of Corrientes with the aim of detecting variants of concern.

“This complementary strategy would enable the rapid detection of the entry of a variant not detected at the border,” the statement said.

The Brazil-Argentina border is 1,261 kilometers long, connecting three Brazilian states (Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina) and two Argentine provinces (Misiones and Corrientes).

According to official data, an average of 136 trucks per day cross the Santo Tomé-Sao Borja border post in the Brazil-Argentina direction. Meanwhile, an average of 200 trucks per day cross the Paso de los Libres-Uruguayana post, 80% of which are driven by Brazilian carriers.

All of them are required to have a negative PCR to be able to enter Argentina, but they are also tested for antigens at these border crossings.