Madeira on Green Watch List, so will you still book a holiday?

Tobi Hughes·
Madeira News

Malta seems to be the only country added to the green list, while other places including the Spanish Balearic Islands and some of the Caribbean islands and also including Madeira have been added to the Green-Watch list.

Being on the Green-Watch list means that these places can be changed back to Amber at any time, even before the next 3 week review.

So it doesn’t really give much confidence in booking a holiday or travelling if you already have a holiday booked, especially if you are a family of four or more, as the cost of tests is going to add a huge amount to your trip, or you are unable to do 10 days quarantine on your return.

 

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Tobi Hughes

35 Responses

  1. No not booking abroad anywhere until next year at the earliest and if we still have to pay for expensive tests will stay in good old England.

  3. This too concerned me when I saw it on the BBC news, however I received the Portugese update from uk.govt dept clearly stating that it was moved to the green list and not a green ‘watch list’ apologies but I can’t seem to add it. I don’t know for sure but I assumed every country on the green list could be changed at anytime given the threat of rising Covid numbers, I believe this is reviewed every 3/4 weeks, so I am not too concerned at the moment. This issue will be how Madeira fares with domestic travel from Portugal and the risk of the delta variant through this route and a number of other routes but as I have said before Madeira has a very robust screening solution to tackling the spread of the Virus ? this is only my opinion of course ?

  4. After the ‘Green List’ and the ‘Green Watch-List’ what’s the betting they will get together and come up with ‘Green Watch and Wait’ or ‘Green Watch and Wait – but tending to Amber’ list? Regretfully, we will forget any hope of travelling to Madeira until Christmas, at the very earliest.

  5. Madeira is doing so well at controlling this damn virus that it’s a shame the UK government can’t get it’s act together. Like Tobi, I’ll be glad to get home and not be booking anything in the foreseeable. But at the end of the day we need people to come to our very safe island, I would have thought we are just as safe as Malta.

  6. The greatest fear I think will be what the Portugese government’s next step in whether they will impose a blanket quarantine rule for everyone entering Portugese territory (a bit like the flight bans that was suddenly imposed in Dec on UK visitors) – that will certainly put people off from visiting Madeira altogether. Booked for the 7th Aug for 3 weeks so at least there is a degree of wait and see still for me – the best bet with this summer is to book one of those just pay a deposit flight hotel combis with BA which is pretty low – due to pay up on 17th July so still gives us some leeway on whether we proceed to visit Madeira then…..

    1. But our rules are duffto Portugal, and I can’t see them doing that here not at all, we have been fully open since the very fist lockdown finished, and started the testing at the airport from July 1st 2020

  8. We, like Maurice, have also been booked for some time. This in the full knowledge that the goalposts will be moved several times before then.
    It is bad enough waiting for Sturgeon’e latest manoeuvre, but now Merkel and Macron are sticking their oars in and trying to get Brits banned from everywhere !
    At the moment I’d say our chances of being there in September are about 50/50.

  9. There needs to be a very clear and definite announcement from the Madeiran Albuquerque that there will be no quarantine if a negative test is produced. If not, then we are back to where we were yesterday morning.

    1. Agreed George. 5 days quarantine would not be the best start to a holiday. I will wait and see what happens.

  11. We booked for Madeira last December not thinking this god darn virus will still be around. Not due to fly over until 9th August so here’s hoping the green island stays green! Let’s hope Merkel and co stop making waves too.

    1. I reluctantly repeat myself: Merkel is not even half as blonde as Johnson

  12. We’re booked for end of November beginning of December and for end of February beginning of March. Fingers crossed

  13. Nope, sadly we won’t be coming again this year. A holiday with all that stress just isn’t one! So we continue to pay maintenance on the Miramar with zilch to show for it.

  14. Looking on gov.uk it clearly states that Madeira is moving to the Green list, no mention of being on a “Watch list”.

    1. It now says it will be moving to the ‘green watchlist’ so it could potentially move to Amber at any moment.

  15. I think people should wait for Madeira to be on the light brown or cyan list. Or whatever ridiculous thing the UK government invents.

  16. Nope. The palaver involved and the stress, hassle, uncertainty and of course worry about picking up the virus saps any enjoyment out of the whole process of holidaying as well as the holiday itself.
    Although it’s saddens us, we’re hanging fire for now.

  17. Have been in Madeira since 2 June, returning to Scotland 12 July and have just booked to come back again end September till end November. Everything very safe here and very well controlled at airport if you arrive without a PCR test. I understand these will not be necessary now if you arrive with a double vaccine certificate. We need to adopt a positive attitude to keep our airline industry in business, otherwise none of us will be going anywhere next year!

    1. it’s super confusing on the vaccine front… if you look at the UK gov website for travel advice into Madeira, in one part it says that you must have a PCR and in another part it says that you can have an Anti-Gen test. I am totally confident that you need neither to get into Madeira if you have a double vaccination certificate BUT, it is more a case of what you need to be able to get on the plane to begin with! For this reason, I have just booked a PCR test to make sure that British Airways don’t throw up any curveballs.

      1. Yes it’s not a problem to get on the plane, it’s the country you are going to and their rules for entry, but BA do know with both vaccines you don’t need any test.

  18. Booked for June last year, then June this year. Now booked for August. So unless Jet2 cancel hoping it’ll be 3rd time lucky and we’ll be there.

  19. I can’t stand the arrogance of the Uk’s useless incompetent government. I love the way THEY decide which countries are deemed to be safe or otherwise. If I were the EU I would put all UK visitors in quarantine on arrival, as casesthere are higher than many of the countries on their stupid lists.

  22. I’ve been quite lucky as in Madeira August and Oct last year, end of May this year and booked to be there first week in August. Overall Madeira feels safer than UK and certainly locals more observant of rules. Getting in and out in May was very straightforward provided you follow guidelines and have all the correct paperwork. Biggest mistake was trying to get through immigration at Madeira airport and being told off because we were in the line for EU citizens (if only!)

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