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Press Release
Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers on October 3, 2020
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace, in Dili, and approved the Government Decree draft, presented by the Prime Minister, Taur Matan Ruak, on the state of emergency’s implementing measures, which has been extended by the President of the Republic Decree No. 62/2020, of October 3rd, to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The state of emergency, currently extended, will apply throughout the country and will be in force between October 5th, 2020 00:00 am and November 3rd, 2020, 11:59 pm.
This Government Decree establishes that all individuals wishing to enter or leave the national territory are compulsorily subject to health surveillance. Entry into and exit from national territory is carried out exclusively at the border posts designated for that purpose, during the hours of their respective operation. Land border crossing for traditional or customary purposes and for access to regulated markets is prohibited. Anyone who fails to comply with these rules will be subject to a fine of USD 30 to 250, and will also be obliged to bear the costs resulting from his/her prophylactic isolation.
It is forbidden to board in buses, ships or aircrafts to all individuals who have any of the following symptoms: body temperature higher than 37.5º C; cough; sore throat; cold; and respiratory distress or shortness of breath, except in case of medical evacuation.
Citizens wishing to enter the country are also required to undergo prophylactic isolation (quarantine), for a minimum of fourteen days, and to be tested for COVID-19. This time limit does not apply to aircraft crews who ensure the international transport of passengers or goods and drivers of heavy goods vehicles for international land transportation. Individuals experiencing the symptoms described in the previous paragraph, suspected of being infected by SARS-CoV-2, but whose COVID-19 tests are inconclusive, who are health professionals who have worked in an isolation centre where SARS-CoV-2 infections are cared for, or who have been in close contact, living together or sharing the same environment with a COVID-19 patient, are also subject to quarantine for, at least, fourteen days. Expenses related to quarantine (prophylactic isolation) are covered by each individual when carried out in a private health establishment, residence or isolation centre. If they are diagnosed with COVID-19, they must undergo therapeutic isolation compulsorily.
Individuals of foreign nationality wishing to enter national territory via the land border must apply for registration and ask for entry permit at consular offices.
In exceptional cases, justified by reasons of health and safety of the population, the Minister of Interior may order the border posts temporary closure or the reduction of opening hours to the public.
During the state of emergency, all individuals, should engage in and promote the practice of social distancing behaviours and respiratory etiquette, namely avoiding participating in crowds of people, keeping a distance of, at least, one and a half meter from other individuals with whom they do not live in shared economy, wearing a face mask covering the nose and mouth when they have to remain in closed public spaces and frequently sanitizing their hands, namely at the entrance of business premises and public administration service buildings.
During the term of the state of emergency, all licenses, authorizations and other administrative acts and documents remain valid, regardless of their expiration date.
The enforcement of the present diploma ruling supervision is the responsibility of the security forces and services and of the epidemiological and health surveillance teams, and is therefore prohibited any act of active or passive resistance to the orders issued by the competent public authorities in the implementation of the state of emergency’s declaration. END