Portugal has now been removed from the UKs Green travel list

Thousands of tourists have rushed back to avoid having to quarantine on their return

Author: Collette HowePublished 8th Jun 2021
Last updated 8th Jun 2021

The decision to remove the Portugal from the green list has been a controversial one for many holidaymakers, after the announcement was made last Thursday, just 17 days after the ban on international leisure travel was lifted.

Vicky Samwell is the Manager of Oyster Travel in Norwich: “The industry needs support and backing from the Government… How are we meant to proceed like this?”

39 flights left from Faro Airport in the Algarve to the UK yesterday, almost double the usual total.

Travellers had to arrive back in the UK before 4am this morning to avoid self-isolating at home for 10 days.

Vicky added: “It’s gong to cause a lot of disappointment”

The Department for Transport said they needed to take “swift action to protect the gains made with the vaccine rollout”.

It’s after stating that 68 cases of the Indian varrient have been identified in Portugal.

They added that positivity rate for coronavirus tests in Portugal had nearly doubled since the travel lists were first created four weeks earlier.

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