The Government of Chile opened the country’s borders in early 2021, before closing them yet again on April 5. Citizens and travelers were able to enter Chile for several months if they met a number of strict COVID-19 related guidelines. However, a recent spike in cases of the virus has forced the country to close its borders yet again. Charles Reed Cagle, a business owner who operates plants in Chile, recently discussed the opening and reclosing of the borders and what it means for the country.

“We were excited to see Chile moving toward reopening in the early months of 2021, but it appears it was just too soon,” Charles Reed Cagle said. “More contagious variants of the COVID-19 virus are now surfing in Chile, and the only choice was to close the border and strengthen lockdown restrictions.”

Charles Reed Cagle explained that this is a major setback for tourism and businesses in the country, but he hopes it will slow the virus to a point where reopening can begin again. According to Reuters, Chile currently has some of the fastest vaccination rates in the world, so he hopes this will contribute to a faster opening as well.

The cases of coronavirus have now escalated beyond 1 million in Chile with hospitals nearly reaching capacity. Many areas of Chile are now enforcing curfews and strict guidelines. Travelers must inform the Chilean government if they plan on traveling between regions of the country.

Before the recent closure of the country in April 2021, citizens and travelers could travel to chili with a negative RT-PCR test, proof of health insurance coverage for the virus, and proof of travel less than 14 days for those who are not Chilean citizens. Other regulations were also required in certain local neighborhoods and towns.

“The coronavirus pandemic has had a major impact on countries around the globe, and Chile has suffered as well,” Charles Reed Cagle said. “The government has also shut down a long list of commercial activities, with very few essential businesses remaining open.”

Charles Reed Cagle explained that despite Chile’s latest unfortunate happenings, the country now has the highest percentage of vaccinated individuals on the continent. Government officials, citizens, and travelers hope to see this rising number of vaccines bring the country back down to minimal new cases of COVID-19.

“There’s nothing we can do right now but wait and see what happens,” Cagle finished. “The recent restrictions are in place for the next month, and we will see what Government officials decide after that.”