The Minister of Internal Administration responded today to the Government of Madeira, which demanded the immediate closure of airports in the Autonomous Region due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which is a matter for the Government of the Republic.
“The matters of external borders and circulation in the national space are strictly the competence of the Government of the Republic”, said Eduardo Cabrita at a press conference at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in Lisbon, to take stock of the application of the measures to contain the pandemic.
Confronted twice with the question of the Madeira executive, Cabrita gave the same answer, that is, that the competence belongs to the Government.
“As for the border management framework”, he added, there will be “news today and tomorrow [Monday]”, in reference to the meetings, by videoconference, of the Portuguese Prime Minister, António Costa, with the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, today, to prepare the meeting, also by videoconference of the ministers of Internal Affairs and Health of the European Union on border management.
The President of the Regional Government of Madeira announced today that he had demanded from the Prime Minister, António Costa, “the immediate closure” of airports in the Autonomous Region due to the pandemic of Covid-19.
In a brief note sent to the Lusa agency by the presidency of the Madeiran executive, it can be read that “the President of the Regional Government, Miguel Albuquerque, has already demanded the immediate closure of the airports in the Autonomous Region of Madeira with the Prime Minister, António Costa”.
Eduardo Cabrita also recalled Saturday’s statement in which the ministry strongly advised against Portuguese citizens who are not residents of Madeira to travel to the region, in view of the measure decreed for those who enter the region to be quarantined.