In Egypt, a Lithuanian allegedly infected with a coronavirus was met with the indifference of a tour operator, and Lithuania is accused of violating the constitution.

On March 10, with the entry into force of the new procedure (read more about it HERE), compatriots visiting the host country not only have to look for laboratory tests, but also empty their pockets, since PCR tests They cost a lot. Also, after receiving a positive test, it is not possible to return home; you must isolate yourself in a foreign country, because Lithuania only admits those who have a negative answer to the test. Whether you have to pay for your stay in isolation depends on the rules of the country you are staying in. In Maldives, for example, the hotel and meals will have to be paid for out of pocket, and the Egyptian authorities have promised to pay for the stay, meals and even treatment of the sick in the country if necessary.

It was Tom, who was on vacation in Egypt, who passed the COVID test and faced miscommunication from the tour operator. Currently, a man trapped in the seaside resort of Sharm el Sheikh claims that the trips are carried out without any preparation for such situations, and accuses the Republic of Lithuania of violating the constitution. “Why does a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania, who pays quite considerable taxes, not have the opportunity to return to Lithuania? I work and earn a solid income, so maybe I have to pay taxes to Egypt now because this country cares about me. This contradicts article 32 of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania – “A citizen cannot be forbidden to return to Lithuania”, – the man did not hide his indignation.

Tom and his girlfriend bought a trip to Egypt from the Tez Tour at a time when those returning to Lithuania did not yet have to take a negative test. On March 10, when the order changed, the couple decided not to cancel the trip, they hoped everything would go well. Before the trip to Egypt, the couple underwent COVID-19 tests in Lithuania and left with negative responses. After arriving in Egypt on Sunday, the Lithuanians stayed at the Rixos Sharm El Sheikh hotel, which, as will be seen later, was the only one to extend a helping hand to the ailing Lithuanian.

Lithuanians currently traveling with tour operators, a few days before the end of the holiday, can contact a representative of the company and choose the most appropriate way to carry out the test: go to the laboratory or, if possible, arrange the arrival of a representative from the laboratory to the hotel. You can also go to the laboratory on your own using a taxi. Towards the end of the holidays, Tomás and his girlfriend decided to request a Tez Tour test service, and the Lithuanian calls this step the first mistake, thus urging other travelers to find out the test procedure and prices in advance. , and not always. blindly trust the organizers.

“As our vacation draws to a close, on Friday, Tez Tour invited a lab worker to the hotel. Approximately 15 people gathered at the test site, one by one we went to the table. Interestingly, that employee did not listen. my first or last name, and hygiene rules were not followed at all: we were all in the herd without following any distance. The person who conducted the study did not wear a mask, and the sticks that were inserted into the nose did not appear to be used by first time and they weren’t packaged sterilized one by one. When I asked if I could disinfect them because I didn’t know where they were before, they told me everything was fine with them. I didn’t want to delay the queue so I didn’t get into any more discussions and they put me to the test ”, The Lithuanian was surprised by the conditions.

Only later did Tom learn that the hotel management itself could organize a lab worker’s call to a hotel, and that the same service could cost much less.

“The price of the test offered by the tour operator is quite inflated: for a test, Tez Tour charges $ 60 per person, and in the same hotel where we stay, at the reception, call a laboratory worker and take the test costs $ 37. Unfortunately, I found out too late. The organizer not only takes almost twice as much, but also does not hand out a check or invoice. In the end, I only demanded the receipt, and my friend did not receive it, ”said the man.

Tourists receive the test results after about a day, so on Friday night the couple continued to rest quietly, no one restricted their movement, and on Saturday afternoon Tom received a positive test result.

“I was very surprised because I felt very well, I did not feel any symptoms of the disease and I was going to go play volleyball. Also, it was hard to believe that the bride received a negative response because we are a couple, we did not keep our distance and we hang out all the time; the man made no secret of his surprises and began to wonder how to behave afterward. receive a positive response. – I decided to go to the guide that the Tez Tour gave us. I asked him what to do now if he would take me somewhere and he said, “Don’t worry, I’m on tour now, I’ll call you for 3 or 4 hours.” To the mission in Egypt. . When I contacted her, I heard a promising response: “We don’t know what to do.” I asked for a second test because I thought that the first one was not done qualitatively, because I was feeling very good. They told me I couldn’t do the retest, but I didn’t specifically mention what prevents it. Finally, we began to call the agent from whom we bought the trip, and he recommended that we return with the guide, who was still on some kind of tour ”.

The man, in a desperate situation, went to the hotel, which, according to the interlocutor, was the only one to react and behave professionally in the face of the situation. The hotel management informed the Lithuanian that the Egyptian authorities would pay for her accommodation during isolation, assigned her a room in another hotel building and transferred her.

“We have agreed with the hotel administration that my friend will be able to live with me, because if I have this terrible disease, I don’t want to be left in a foreign country. Then our guide “woke up”, who was very surprised that the hotel allowed us to quarantine both of us, even though the friend received a negative test. The guide called the hotel administration and said that my girlfriend must fly home because otherwise her life is in danger. Since my friend was with me after I had a positive test result, we asked her to retest before the flight. We wanted to make sure she was really healthy and didn’t infect others, but nobody did anything. “

The flight home was supposed to take place on Sunday, so by Saturday night Tom still hadn’t let it go and was hoping to go home. The man asked the hotel management if he really couldn’t take the test again. It then became clear that the hotel could arrange for him to take the test that night, but he would not be able to get the results before the flight. When Tom’s girlfriend left home on Sunday, he was left alone in Egypt and still doesn’t know how or when he will get home.

“I am still waiting for information from the tour operator on how I will have to return home. I do not do a new test because as long as it is positive, the accommodation does not cost me anything. I have not even received confirmation that the flight home will cost me nothing. . I am in complete uncertainty “, – the man did not hide his anxiety and said that the litigant returned to Lithuania, but has not yet decided with whom: the tour operator or Lithuania.

Delphi Contacting the Tez Tour revealed that they were aware of Tom’s situation and promised to contact the traveler in person. The tour operator said that all the problems were related to the government’s hasty decision and not all processes had enough time to prepare.

“Considering that the decision of the Lithuanian government to provide a negative result of the mandatory COVID-19 test to the returnees was made in a hurry (without coordination with the tour operators and without informing them in advance), the tour operator did everything possible to inform all travelers in a timely manner and all related processes are implemented smoothly. We apologize if travelers have experienced any inconvenience. By improving service processes in host countries, the tour operator makes every effort to ensure the legitimate and reasonable expectations of travelers while traveling, ”said Inga Aukštuolytė, representative of Tez Tour.

According to her, the Egyptian government undertakes to cover the costs of accommodation and meals for travelers (in a reserved or designated hotel) during self-isolation and, if necessary, treatment in public hospitals until the person recovers. People traveling together are tested for COVID-19 for free, and if they test negative, they can continue their vacation or go to Lithuania.

“If a traveler becomes ill with COVID-19 while in Egypt, the tour operator will keep in touch with the traveler. Also, most Egyptian hotels have a permanent representative from Tez Tour, so travelers can ask for help. anytime “.

According to I. Aukštuolytė, after self-isolation, after receiving a negative COVID-19 test, the tour operator can offer the customer to change the return flight ticket, if there are vacancies on the nearest flight, free of charge or with a surcharge. , depending on the circumstances: alternatives will be sought for travelers to return to other airlines under the most favorable conditions and at the lowest possible cost ”.

When asked how the prices of COVID tests requested by a tour operator are determined, I. Aukštuolytė stated that Tez Tour offers service prices in accordance with its pricing policy.

“In order to ensure the total safety and comfort of travelers, travelers may hire a service that includes transportation for the COVID-19 test and delivery of the response received to the hotel. The traveler has the right to freely choose or reject these services “.