"I do not see that the current situation of the Covid-19 pandemic in both countries justifies the closure of borders. There is an increase in the number of cases of infection in both countries, but it is not putting hospitals or Care Units at risk. Intensive Care Units (ICU). On the other hand, there is also no increase in the number of deaths as occurred during the period of confinement, when the borders were restored ", said the official.

Speaking to the Lusa agency, regarding a possible new limitation on mobility between the two countries, as part of the assessment of the evolution of the covid-19 that the governments of the two countries will carry out in the coming days, the secretary general of the cross-border association explained that the evolution of the disease in Galicia "is being lived with normality".

"As far as I know, in Portugal this scenario is not on the table either. The increase in the number of cases of the disease is related to the holiday period, but the health situation is far from the one that motivated the confinement in March", he reinforced.

Xoan Mao defended the need to "strengthen measures to prevent the disease".

"Prevention measures, which were somewhat neglected during the holiday period, must be strengthened and strengthened, but I see no reason for the borders to be closed again. If that happened, it would be a real financial disaster", he reinforced.

On Tuesday, the Portuguese Foreign Minister said he would discuss the evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic in Portugal and Spain with his Spanish counterpart on Friday.

"I will be pleased to welcome my Spanish colleague [Arancha González Laya] next Friday, the 18th. We will then have the bilateral summit between the two countries, on the 2nd of October, and, of course, these are opportunities for us exchange information about how we are monitoring the evolution of the pandemic and the measures we are all taking to fight it, "Augusto Santos Silva told Lusa.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs added that there has been work "in a very coordinated manner with the Spanish authorities", exemplifying that the border between Portugal and Spain was closed, between 16 March and 30 June, "by joint a decision of the two States".

Asked about the need for a possible new limitation on mobility between the two countries, after the Spanish authorities announced, on Monday, 27,404 new cases since Friday, Augusto Santos Silva stressed that the decisions fall on the Internal administration ministers for Portugal and Spain.