“This issue is not yet defined. This type of decision depends on an articulation, in the case of Spain, between our Minister of Internal Administration, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Spanish Minister of the Interior and certainly there will be no decision without the agreement of all parties. It is a decision that is being considered and evaluated and studied”, said António Lacerda Sales.

The minister, who was speaking at the daily press conference on the balance of the Covid-19 pandemic in Portugal, commented on Spain's announcement of a reopening of the common border on June 22, reiterating the words of the Portuguese Foreign Minister that this morning he stressed that whoever decides on the reopening of the Portuguese border “is naturally Portugal”.

“We were surprised by these statements by the minister responsible for Tourism [of Spain], who 'announces' the reopening of the border between Portugal and Spain for the next June 22nd,” Augusto Santos Silva told Lusa, stressing that the announcement “did not fall within the framework of "close cooperation" between the two Governments for the management of the common border.

"Whoever decides on the opening of the Portuguese border is naturally Portugal and Portugal wants to do it in close coordination with the only State with which it has a land border, Spain," he added, stating that "clarifications are already being requested from the Government of Spain".

Spanish Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, announced today that Spain will lift restrictions on the entry of people to the borders with Portugal and France from 22 June.

"In the case of France and Portugal, I want to confirm that from June 22, restrictions on land mobility will be eliminated," said the minister, in a meeting with the international press, adding that "in principle, quarantines will be eliminated".

The Spanish Government thus anticipates the date of opening the borders by one week, after having announced on 25 May that it would lift restrictions on the movement of people, namely foreign tourists, only on 1 July.

António Lacerda Sales was also invited to explain how the control of passengers and symptoms at airports is being carried out and what measures will be implemented, having said that "new ways are being studied" to accompany the "possible increase in flights ”, But without specifying which ones.

“We have been doing temperature control at airports. At this moment, given the reduction in flights, some control is maintained, but no longer with INEM teams that were withdrawn, but they were in the second line of prevention. Obviously, with the potential increase in reopening, new ways of being able to do this control will have to be studied ”, he described.