89% of landed in Madeira arrive with covid test already carried out

Tobi Hughes·
News Blog

Almost 9 out of 10 passengers who traveled this month to Madeira from outside the Region, disembarked at Madeira International Airport Cristiano Ronaldo with the covid-19 negative test carried out up to 72 hours prior to arrival.

The revelation was made this afternoon by the President of the Regional Government, during the visit to the premises of the Regional Civil Protection Service of Madeira, in Cancela, where he chaired the presentation ceremony of POCIF 2020 – Operational Plan for Combating Forest Fires.

“About 89% of passengers disembarked in Madeira were already having a negative test [carried out] in 72 hours”, assured the President of the Government, referring to the nine weekly flights between Madeira and the Mainland (7 via Lisbon, 2 via Port).

As of today, national connections to and from Madeira will also have the resumption of the route between Ponta Delgada (Azores) and Funchal. Four weekly connections between the two archipelagos are already planned.

With regard to inter-island connections with neighboring archipelagos – Canaries and Azores – Albuquerque reaffirmed the intention of “creating security corridors”, setting an example of what is already expected to happen when the connections between Madeira and the Canaries are resumed, where passengers should only board with the (negative) test already performed.

The Madeiran leader considers this articulation “an example for Europe and for civil aviation” of how it can and should develop connections and air mobility based on a “safety foundation”.

Albuquerque is ready to ‘open the purse strings’ to try at all costs to avoid a regression in the current scenario of a pandemic crisis that has been very favorable in the Region, where there are practically no identified cases of infected.

“We cannot take unnecessary risks”, he says, to justify the measures and support that will be announced to justify this “asset that we have to preserve” by emphasizing the results obtained in the Region in the fight against covid-19.

From Diário Notícias

Does he really think this will continue come 1st of July, when tests will be free to anyone arriving in Madeira? At the moment people don’t have a choice, if they don’t carry a negative test they go into Quarantine.

I can’t see many people pay €150-250 a test each on top of their holiday to Madeira.

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Tobi Hughes

28 Responses

  2. So let’s hope that none of them have contracted the virus at their departure airport or on the plane. I find this extremely worrying as Madeira is practically Covid free and I would not wish a resurgence on the people of the island we love.

    1. The virus will be back, impossible for it not to be, as catching the virus on a plane it’s almost impossible, but the airports are a different story.

  3. I’d like to know where these travellers had their test carried out? In the UK you can only get a test done if your already have Covid-19 symptoms.

    1. These tests are carried out in mainland Portugal. The cost is around 130€ but depending on your health insurance scheme it can be 0€.

      From July, for instance Lufthansa is offering free Covid tests to who departs from Munich and Frankfurt. Apparentely the “ridiculous” idea Madeira is trying to implement is having some correspondence from other entities.

  4. £120 for home testing kit in UK with accredited testing, about £250 in Harley St London.

  5. We are due to come from U.K. on September 21st and intend to be there if at all possible. Hopefully we will be able to get a test at home by then even if no symptoms at a sensible cost . I agree it is better to test first if that is what is needed rather than waiting for one on arrival although in theory one could get infected in the 72 hours or at airports

  6. Booked our flights in January and due to fly in 27 July . Looked into test which would have to be done privately to get a result within 72 hours of arriving £150 each which I cannot afford on top of holiday.
    I’m actually hoping that flights are cancelled as I’m not sure if taking the chance of being tested at airport .

  7. Tobi still unable to travel from Ireland. I cancelled my flights as I was due to come to Madeira on 15th July. I think Ryanair are offering flights to mainland Portugal but on the way back into Ireland we have to self isolate for a further 14 days. So 2 weeks holidays could end up being a month away from work.

  8. I got the virus on a plane from Madrid. The man beside me was very ill, so it is not impossible.

      1. None of us. This was in the beginning of February. But the same air is circulating, and even with a mask you can catch it. When you eat and when you drink you take of the mask. I was flying from Madeira a week ago and a lot of people had food with them to eat in economy class and in buisness class they serv food. I’m not afraid, but don’t say it is impoosible to catch it on an aeroplane. You can catch it everywhere if you are unlucky.

  9. I think Mr Lamas jumps to a conclusion here regarding test locations. I would wager that a large proportion of inbound passengers had their tests carried out in Madeira before leaving for the mainland on business. They would test negative naturally, but then a 72 hour (or less) on the mainland, then back to the island. I wonder what %age of those travelling are actually in Madeira for tourism?
    Also having read Albuquerque’s latest on this, he will take ‘whatever steps’ are required if their is a reoccurrence of the virus on the island. What will this be? I suspect a total closure of any hotel where there is a case registered, similar to what happened back in March when the Enotel in the city was closed and tourists were marooned on their balconies.
    Tobi is correct – come 1 July nobody will pre-test. As Albuquerque also says, he would rather pay for tests to be done than spend the money on those on the island who are out of work! I am not sure the latter would agree.

    1. Obviously if the island is only “open” for tourism from the 1st of July, most people arriving in the island in June are not tourists.
      From the 1st of July you can either have the test for free (but if positive you go on quarantine) or you have the test at the origin and have a stress-free journey. You pay what you have to pay for the test but you know you´ll have the holidays as you expected. Of course this will put many people off. The island is not expecting mass tourism anyway and this is a filter that ensures that people like you, who don´t give a damn on whether they are infected or nor or are infecting others, are kept away from the island.

    2. I think anyone who tests positive once in their hotel, the hotel is responsible for them, and they have to divide the hotel, so any positive people are kept in room in a separate area or dude of the complex.

  10. Good morning. Is there any official proof for free tests from July 1st. I have read something but cannot find it anymore.

  11. What some people don’t seem to understand is that booking a holiday is done more than 72 hours before departure. Nobody can predict the future, and therefore I cant believe that anyone would be comfortable booking to travel to Madeira with this rule in place – an accidental infection prior to that 72 day window will screw their holiday completely, even though they may not display any symptoms! So – the pre-test may give a ‘stress free journey’ but what about those stress filled weeks/months leading up to the travel date???? Its absolutely bonkers and guaranteed to put the tourism sector (and all those who rely upon it) in the island under even more strain than they are at the moment.

    1. The government´s position is that it is preferable to keep the strain on the tourism sector than on the health system. I wonder why?
      I had family in Porto Santo last week and they told me they had never seen Porto Santo like that in June. They spoke to restaurants/café owners who we´ve known through years and they said the last 2 weeks had been better than so many top weeks in August throughout years. I am trying to book a rental house for my family in the west coast in August and I am struggling to find one and being told there was a spike in demand in the last few weeks. Do you think people would go to Porto Santo or book holidays if there were dozens of new cases in the island every day?
      Of course “mass” tourism will have to wait a little longer. Controlling the epidemic is not compatible with mass tourism. People will not stop flying to Madeira because of the test. People will stop flying because they are afraid of getting infected at the airport, of not being insured, of having their flight cancelled, etc, etc. If Madeira loosens the test restriction, instead of 70 people on the airplane you get 80. Is it worth the risk?

      1. I think you are correct in a number of respects, but I think I am correct in saying that most travellers to Porto Santo will be from Madeira main island, wont they? And from what I understand, most people in the UK at least are terrified of doing anything and wont fly. I am currently having a bit of a struggle with my ex wife over access to the kids, who normally see me in Madeira 6 times a year – I have not seen them now since last year. Britons wont be flocking to book flights anywhere – the more restrictions there are on Madeiran entry, the less likely it is that they will come. I hope your optimism is correct regarding travellers to the island.

  13. Hallo Tobi, I already knew this, but I cannot read anything about a free test:

    “Passengers landing at airports in the Autonomous Region of Madeira who have not tested for COVID-19 disease, will do so at the respective airport, upon arrival, with an estimated maximum period of 1 hour to complete the inherent process.
    After carrying out the aforementioned test, the passenger will proceed to their destination, being exempted from mandatory confinement, respecting the rules of social distance, use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and health safety.
    The test result will be reported to the passenger within the next 12 hours.”

    Only about free treatment in case of a positiv test:

    “5. Positive test result for COVID-19 disease
    The passenger will be directed to a designated hotel and cohabitants (direct contacts) will be subject to mandatory confinement.
    The Government of the Autonomous Region of Madeira will assume the respective costs of treatment, accommodation and meals, at the designated hotel unit.
    fter 7 days, the passenger will be subjected to a new test for COVID-19 disease, for decision by the Regional Health Authority.
    If the disease manifests itself during the stay, the respective hotel will not close and must comply with the guidelines issued by the Regional Health Authority.”

    Thanks for your help and quick answer.

    Michael

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