Covid-19

Disappointment for Portugal over air bridges

The UK has continued to exclude Portugal from its list of countries where quarantine is not required after visiting.

Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia, St Vincent and the Grenadines have been added.

"We are extremely disappointed that Portugal has yet again been omitted from the UK's extensive list of air bridge agreements,' said Sean Moriarty, CEO, Quinta do Lago, the Algarve. 

"Over the past four months, Portugal has been recognised for managing the virus exceptionally well, we locked down early and really led the way in reducing the spread of infection. It, therefore, came as a real shock to be excluded from a partnership with the UK - especially when our rate of infection does not justify this decision. 

"Particularly here, in the Algarve, numbers of cases have always remained extremely low and our resort has been open for over a month now without numbers increasing. In the UK, 4.2 people out of 1,000 currently have the virus, when compared with the Algarve's much smaller 1.4 people, the British government's decision seems illogical. 

"Even in Lisbon, although there has been an unfortunate rise in cases this took place in a non-tourist area and is now fully under control - our government acted very quickly to reduce and contain the spread by closing down the area. Friday's announcement, therefore, came as a real blow. 

"In normal times, the Algarve is the third most popular European destination for British travellers and there are currently no quarantine regulations upon arriving in Faro Airport, but we really need the UK government to lift its restrictions to allow us a chance at a real summer season. 

"Although some of our regular guests who visit the resort each summer are still booking, in the knowledge that they will quarantine when returning home,  we are really hoping that a travel corridor is forged in the very near future in order to boost British numbers. We have the weather, the safety measures and the lifestyle - now we just need the guests."