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Britain’s ambassador to Portugal has said the new airlift to Portugal could “change rapidly” as tourists rush back before an expected re-imposition of quarantine restrictions.
Chris Sainty fueled speculation Tuesday that the restrictions for those traveling back from Portugal could be reintroduced later this week, just two weeks after they were lifted.
Ahead of a weekly meeting Thursday to review the list of travel brokers, Sainty advised potential visitors to Portugal to only travel “if they are happy with an unexpected quarantine if necessary.” He also reminded travelers that “things can change quickly.”
Chris Sainty
(@ChrisSaintyFCO)3/3 Travelers should consider their plans carefully and take into account the risks of traveling abroad in this fast-moving situation. How @grantshapps That said, only travel if you are satisfied with an unexpected quarantine if necessary. See 🇬🇧 travel tips for the latest information.
Sainty’s remarks came after the number of coronavirus cases in Portugal surged above 20 per 100,000 people, the level at which the UK government considers triggering quarantine conditions that require arriving people to isolate themselves. by themselves for 14 days.
There were 22.3 cases of coronavirus per 100,000 people in Portugal in the seven days to August 31, up from 14.5 the previous week. The seven-day rate in the UK is 13.9.
If at Thursday’s meeting it is decided to remove Portugal from the list of safe countries, those returning from the country can expect quarantine to be imposed starting Saturday at 4 a.m.
EasyJet sold out all its flights from Faro, which serves the Algarve, to Britain’s airports on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
British Airways is selling seats on a flight from Faro to Heathrow on Thursday for £ 554. The same trip can be made seven days later for £ 139.
The director of the parent company of British Airways has said that re-imposing the quarantine on people arriving from Portugal would cause more “chaos and difficulties” for travelers.
Willie Walsh, chief executive of International Airlines Group, wrote in the Times, saying that the “ever-changing list” means that “the UK has officially posted the ‘closed’ sign.”
He added: “The government is using arbitrary statistics to effectively ban 160 countries and in the process is destroying the economy. The government needs to introduce a testing regime to restore confidence. “
Despite the risk that the quarantine will be re-imposed, Visit Portugal, a Portuguese government initiative to boost tourism, continues to encourage UK tourists to travel.
His Twitter account in English on Tuesday tweeted: “#Algarve a go-go! … The airlift to Portugal is over, and that means the joys of the Algarve are once again available to British tourists ”.
There was no warning that the quarantine could be reintroduced as soon as this weekend.
Visit portugal
(@visitaportugal)#Algarve a go-go! #PortugalYou’re finally off the quarantine list, and here are 10 great deals to keep #summer I live https://t.co/KSDQPve4kW | via @Online mail The airlift to Portugal is ready, and that means the joys of the Algarve are once again available to British tourists. pic.twitter.com/yuquH63xc8
In June, the Portuguese Foreign Minister, Augusto Santos Silva, complained that “quarantine is an enemy of tourism.”
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