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Melissa Real, like many Portuguese visiting Portugal, was surprised by the introduction of controlled quarantine in a hotel room upon her return to the UK, so she is already thinking about alternatives.
For now, the idea so that we can return will be to spend a month in another European country that does not have border restrictions, Italy or Spain for example, and fly from there, from the hotel’s quarantine, with respect to European countries, it only applies to Portugal, ”he told the Lusa news agency.
This 31-year-old computer programmer, based in London, traveled with her partner to Portugal on December 21, already under stricter restrictions, and was aware of the risk of being toughened, but the fact that both can continue teleworking allows some flexibility. in the plans they return.
Above all, he refuses to comply with a 10-day quarantine in a government-designated hotel room, a measure that was introduced on February 15 for people arriving from Portugal, who would have to pay.
Guests are required to always stay in the room, with a few short breaks to smoke or get air under the surveillance of security guards, which has already sparked some protests.
“No, no way. The £ 1,750 (2,020 euros) is per head, not even per room, and the area we would return to, Gatwick, is just miserable. No one deserves to pay that much to be stuck in the room to eat. that the hotel can provide, as a recluse, “said the Lisbon.
Melissa Real is willing to wait, but Carlos Custódio, owner of a dance school, begins to worry about her return, as the dismantling plan announced by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson allows her to reopen the activity on December 12 . April .
“I need to get things ready again, meet with my employees, do some work. I already thought about going to Spain and staying for 10 days, and then traveling, but the borders are closed. I have someone who could take me by truck, but it’s risky” admits Lusa.
Truck drivers are among the few exceptions to the professions that are exempt from hotel quarantine, but the penalties for breaking the rules are severe.
As early as 16 February, four passengers were fined £ 10,000 (£ 11,500) at Birmingham airport for failing to declare they traveled from a “red list” country, but the penalty could run up to 10 years in prison.
According to the border security force [Border Force], Paul Lincoln, only 1% of the approximately 15,000 international arrivals to the UK currently have to comply with the hotel quarantine, that is, 150 people a day, he said last week.
Portugal was included in the list of 33 mainly African and South American countries due to relations with Brazil, since the United Kingdom wants to avoid the importation of people infected with variants with mutations of the coronavirus that causes covid-19.
The requirement to quarantine in a guarded hotel room applies to anyone who has been in the last 10 days in one of these countries, so making a long stopover in another country is an option under discussion by more Portuguese in social networks.
As well as potentially saving money, the advantage is that upon arriving in the UK, they could self-quarantine in the comfort of their own home, which is also the preference of Ana Rita Franco, actress and manager of a musical theater school. Lessons.
“I tried to go back before [de começar a regra dos hotéis, mas os preços dos bilhetes aumentaram muito. Para mim, o custo é impossível”, alegou, ainda incerta sobre quando irá poder regressar para o apartamento que continua a pagar renda.
O embaixador de Portugal no Reino Unido, Manuel Lobo Antunes, insurgiu-se contra o “enorme encargo financeiro” e considerou as medidas “desproporcionadas e injustas”, num artigo publicado na sexta-feira no jornal Daily Telegraph.
“A meu ver, submeter qualquer ser humano a um regime de quarentena extrema, sob vigilância de seguranças, por um período de dez dias, e às suas próprias custas, não é algo que deva ser considerado”, argumentou.
O diplomata mostra esperança que a melhoria da situação epidémica em Portugal nas últimas semanas permite a saída da “lista negra” e permitir aos viajantes portugueses e britânicos que cheguem ao Reino Unido vindos de Portugal cumprir quarentena “no calor e conforto das suas próprias casas”.
O Governo britânico diz que mantém esta medida sob “avaliação constante”, mas não tem prevista data para uma potencial alteração, seja para remover ou adicionar mais países à lista.
O ministro dos Transportes, Grant Shapps, disse que as as restrições às viagens internacionais deverão manter-se até 17 de maio, dependendo as alterações de um estudo com medidas para mitigar os riscos que deverá estar pronto a 12 de abril.
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