French tourists can travel to Portugal again since Monday, May 17. The Lusitanian state made the news official this weekend: it lifts the 14-day quarantine and authorizes tourist travel for most European countries where the incidence rate of Covid-19 is "
less than 500 cases per 100,000 inhabitants
", The government said in a statement. A scenario that already concerns Great Britain and, since Monday, France, among others. The health situation is improving in France, classified as an "orange zone" since May 13 by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC): its incidence rate is mostly less than 500 cases per 100,000 people over 14 days.
After Italy, which lifted the isolation requirement for the French on May 15, Portugal joins the other countries of southern Europe in a fierce race to welcome travelers again, Greece, Spain or Croatia in head.
All are waiting for the deployment of the European health pass, promised for the end of June.
Read also: Covid-19 and travel: what possible destinations for the French?
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See also
- Covid-19: Portugal reopens its border with Spain
Number of cases, confinement, openings ... What is the situation in Portugal?
On the spot, the Portuguese take advantage of a great breath of liberating air. They now enjoy weekends without restrictions (or almost). The fourth and final phase of the deconfinement plan came into effect on Saturday, May 1, two days earlier than expected. A stage marked by the reopening, shops until 7 pm and restaurants until 10:30 pm As soon as the good news announced by Prime Minister António Costa, reservations exploded for lunch or dinner by the sea, like reported the newspaper
Público
.
Another strong signal: the land border with Spain, closed since the end of January, is now reopened.
The fortnight imposed on the French, on the other hand, remains in force until May 15.
Except in Madeira and the Azores, where it is sufficient to present a single negative PCR test.
Read also: Coves, beaches, natural pools ... The most beautiful swimming spots in Madeira
Permissive until the end of the year celebrations, the country had immediately faced a violent epidemic wave, caused by the virality of the English variant.
Until rising to the first rank in the world in terms of the number of deaths (nearly 17,000 at the beginning of May, according to Johns Hopkins), compared to its population of ten million inhabitants.
Now the change is radical.
Since May 1, Portugal has gone from a state of emergency to a state of "calamity" (less severe) and has posted an incidence rate of 64 positive cases per 100,000 inhabitants for fourteen days (for a national average). barely 500 cases per day, compared to 13,000 in January).
A reassuring assessment, much better than that of its European neighbors, on which however, Jean-Pierre Pinheiro, director of the Portuguese Tourist Office in France, is careful not to communicate: “
The country is much better, but we remain cautious because we knows it, the backlash can hurt
”.
Read the file: Portugal: the
Figaro
travel guide
From now on, groups of six people indoors and ten on the terrace are authorized in restaurants, cafes and pastry shops until 10:30 pm. Same time for theaters.
Shops, for their part, can reopen until 9 p.m. on weekdays and until 7 p.m. on weekends.
All sporting activities are again practicable, as is the organization of large indoor and outdoor events, although with a reduced capacity.
Only eight cities in the country, more impacted by the Covid-19, in particular Portimão in the Algarve, will still have to wait to deconfin like the others.
Read also: 48 hours in Porto, epicurean stroll in the wine capital
Where is the vaccination campaign?
The vaccination campaign, launched in December 2020, has seen a recent boost.
So far, 8.5% of the country's inhabitants - nearly 900,000 in total - have received the double dose of the vaccine, according to the Directorate General of Health.
The government's goal remains unchanged: to achieve group immunity by the end of the summer.
The Secretary of State for Health, Diogo Serras Lopes, announced on April 26 that the goal of vaccinating 70% of the country's adult population could even be reached earlier than expected, at the beginning of the summer.
Read also: These countries that will welcome vaccinated tourists this summer
Vaccination passport, quarantine, test ... What will be the conditions of access this summer for tourists?
In the meantime, Portugal “
strongly defends
” the health passport presented by the EU, which it chairs until June.
Last week, Ana Paula Zacarias, Secretary of State for European Affairs, again called on other member countries to "
act without delay
" for the implementation of the digital green certificate, which was validated by MEPs on April 29.
A key step for relaunching travel within the EU, and tourism in general.
To read also: Green passport, vaccination passport, health certificate ... Small lexicon of the traveler in the time of Covid-19
The sector supported one in ten working people in Portugal… Before the Covid-19 pandemic. "
During the first quarter of this year [marked by confinement], Portuguese GDP was 9.3% below its level before the pandemic,
" deplores
Público
. Last year, the country lost three out of four tourists, or nearly 17 million visitors. In Lisbon alone, one of the flagship destinations, receipts fell by 76% last year. "
The sector has gone through the most difficult period in its history
", recognizes Ahresp, the main employers' association in the hotel and restaurant industry, which now expects "
a new impetus
".
However, we will have to wait a little longer, because the conditions of entry into mainland Portugal remain very restrictive for travelers arriving from countries where the epidemiological situation is worrying. Understand: where the incidence rate exceeds 500 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. This is the case for France, according to the ECDC 14-day ranking. Thus, until May 15, only travelers with an essential reason can go to mainland Portugal. They must present a negative PCR test and then isolate themselves for fourteen days (unless they stay less than 48 hours, the plane ticket being proof). The Belgians or the Swiss, on the other hand, are not subject to this quarantine.
"The situation will be reassessed on May 15 and, given the latest Covid-19 figures in France, I think the fortnight will be lifted at that time for mainland Portugal".
Jean-Pierre Pinheiro, director of the Portuguese Tourist Office in France
"
It is not in force, on the other hand, in the archipelagos of the Azores or Madeira, the French can already go there with a single negative PCR test
", notes Jean-Pierre Pinheiro, of the Tourist Office. Note that from June 1, SATA Azores Airlines will open a direct flight between Paris Charles-de-Gaulle and the Azores (Ponta Delgada airport, on the island of Sao Miguel) with three flights per week . “
The situation will be reassessed on May 15 and, given the latest Covid-19 figures in France, I think the fortnight will be lifted at that time for mainland Portugal.
"
While waiting for the summer season, Portugal is preparing its seduction operation. To reassure tourists, more than 22,000 establishments in the country (restaurants, hotels, etc.) benefit from the Clean & Safe health label, which now takes environmental criteria into account.
