Antigen Tests – Free For Tourists or NOT?

Tobi Hughes·
Madeira News

I have had a lot of emails from people about the Antigen test most people need each week, especially to use Bars and Restaurants.

I have been told these will be free for tourists as well, but it seems most pharmacies are charging 15-20 euros for them.

We are still waiting for answers from the tourism, who are waiting for answers from the health authorities.

It’s seems a lot of uncertainty over this whole thing and to be honest it’s becoming a farce, and a lot of stress. I’m still expecting a huge u-turn, and many places I have spoken to have said they will not do checks. There are also many smaller places where the owners or staff are not vaccinated, so it would be totally wrong for them to ask.

Many people have mobility problems who can’t queue to wait for tests, and many pharmacies are still not doing them, it’s not they have run out, it’s just they are not doing them.

The pop up tents in Funchal, by loja do Cidadão, and Se Cathedral, are not charging the tourists for the tests, so it seems, a friend on holiday went there today and got a test, was only asked for her passport details and why she wanted the test, which she replied to use Bars and Restaurants.

Until we have a firm answer those tourists wanting a free test might have to come to Funchal, which is a bit if a pain if you are on the other side of the island.

There may well be another meeting Thursday, which might iron out a lot of these issues, but it seems the government have forgotten about the tourists altogether in these new measures as not a single airline or tour company have been told about them, so it’s impossible for tourists to know… (unless of course you are here) ??

So it’s a waiting game, and as soon as I know more, you will know more.

Utente Number

One other thing, the Utente Number Problem, and those that had vaccines here, but might not live here full time, or live here and still don’t have a utente number. This is a bigger problem than even I expected, and I was swamped with emails about this yesterday.

To get to speak to anyone from Sesaram seems almost impossible, so I can understand why there are so many problems.

 

 

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Tobi Hughes

46 Responses

  1. You are right. It is a complete farce. Forget the tourists at your peril, Madeira! Its in stark contrast to a year ago when Madeira tested all tourists with pcr at the airport. We commended them for their organisational ability. Whats happened now to change this I wonder? Its a logistics exercise and ought to be possible to come up with a sensible and practical solution.

    1. Margo – They are trying to work on the many unvaccinated people on the island soon when they realize it’s not going anywhere and people don’t want vaccines and tourists stop coming they will change things Madeira is nothing without tourism.

    2. Correct Tobi/ Margo, what a complete farce. The Gov’t (NOT just’someone’ has to get a grip. Don’t lets leave it all up to Tobi.

  2. I think I’ll pack a couple of boxes of tests in my suitcase!! My pharmacy puts a couple of boxes in my repeat prescriptions bag every 2 weeks ?

    3. I wouldn’t bother. If you are challenged, which I very much doubt, you will need an official LFT result letter (email) which you will not get by using one of your NHS tests.

      We have been here for a couple of weeks. Our general impression is that almost everyone is ignoring the rules that are already in place. For example, you should in theory be already showing a vaccination certificate or test result when entering bars and restaurants, but nobody does. I doubt if things are going to change radically next week.

    2. Yes but you won’t be able do much like clubs and bars or restaurants but I think u cán get an air bnb and have lots of outdoor adventures. Lots of businesses still struggling I doubt the small businesses will turn u away. But u will need weekly testing for supermarkets and some other shops.

  4. Be aware they have had only nearly 2 years to think about how to implement and inform about the restrictions. Can’t expect too much from the government here.

  5. Thank you for all the work you have done to bring clarity to this situation, Toby. It is truly a joke and the authorities seem increasingly incompetent through their lack of coordination with the pharmacies, health services and sectors needed for people to abide by these extreme restrictions. First have everything in place and THEN impose the rules. They have had to backtrack once, giving a “transition period” until the 27th instead of starting on the 20th as originally imposed, and from what I can tell almost no one is enforcing these regulations. It’s only saving face/not wanting to be seen as incompetent and the joke they are that is preventing the regional authorities from not doing away with this stupidity once and for all.

  6. Thanks Toby.
    Really useful post.

    Personally, as a Madeira resident, I got a utente number from my Centro de Saúde after receiving a Form S1 from the UK government (available for UK pensioners) and then taking it to the department for Segurança Social in Funchal, here… Instituto de Segurança Social da Madeira, IP-RAM
    291 205 100
    https://maps.app.goo.gl/UM3zBznYrPk5nEy58
    After that you can go to your local Centro de Saúde, and they will give you the numero do utente, that you use on the SMS24 website to print your digital certificate!

    Complicated I know, but persistence gets you there!

    Andrew

  7. Thank you again for the information Tobi. Hopefully the health authorities will clarify with anyone who does decide to check that proof of recovery will be accepted rather than a lateral flow test, as those of us who are doubled jabbed and recently recovered are advised, both in the UK and in Madeira I believe, not to take either test for 90 days.

  8. Could be a massive own goal. Someone in the administration needs to get a grip and quickly. One click to cancel a flight and another to cancel the hotel.

  9. I arrived Saturday bringing 2 boxes of tests with me for my 3 week stay. When I test I photograph the test strip and enter the result on the NHS site – I have a VPM on my phone- I then have on my phone the NHS confirmation of the result and a photo of the result. It worked with my Dentist here in Funchal.

  10. What is the situation on testing for cruise ships coming in? It was reported that passengers with COVID had disembarked? Obviously no passenger would have time to get tested in Funchal!

  11. I think the obvious answer is to find a template certificate from a UK company before you leave and edit it to give you something to show bars/restaurants/shop in the unlikely event they are actually bothered.

  12. Someone need to realise that the point of having a holiday is to enjoy oneself and relax. If the authorities don’t get that tourists do not expect to go some where then be told oh by the way you are going to be under strict rules to be here. We will certainly will not ever be trusting them in the future. Astounded when I learnt that the population of Maderia had not been fully vaccinated even having one for some, alone having the 2 vaccines.

  13. can people use there own lateral flow currently being given out free in the UK. Would they be recognised by your health organisations. if so I would certainly test myself more often potential every other day ??.

    2. It’s how you prove it. You can hardly carry the tube around with you, even if your honest!

  14. Following on from my post yesterday, I have been unable to download my qr code on my phone as it will not accept my utente number, so I went to my local medical centre to get one printed out for me in nazare, only to be Gould that I didn’t need one, all I need to show is my vaccinations card, on that note I asked if this included restaurants as well and she told me that it does, seems nobody knows what is going on and nobody knows how all these tests could possibly be achieved for a population of 250,000 residents plus the tourists.
    I thought the government here had done a good job up till now.
    Need to get there act together as everyone is in confusion.

    1. Your vaccination card won’t be accepted, you need the certificate with the QR code on. People have already been refused with the card.

      1. Not true that it won’t be accepted. It’s been published now in the local paper that the blue vaccine card is an acceptable document to show as proof of vaccination.

  15. Thanks for all your hard work over recent weeks Tobi. Because of all the confusion at the moment we have decided to put our annual 12 week stay in Machico on hold. We should be flying out on the 6th December – we’ve cancelled – so disappointed, but after last winters problems when our stay lasted almost 6 months (there is no better place to be stranded) a decision had to be made. Just hoping we can make it in the New Year.

  16. Thank you Tobi for gathering information and following the situation.
    We will be arriving on December 4th for 8 nights and therefore I’m interested to know if the testing capacity at the airport will be increased for arriving passengers? We have our EU vaccine certificates, so it’s not a must to be tested there. Also our hotel will be keeping us up to date on what the procedures will be.
    I browsed through the Facebook pages of our favorite restaurants in Funchal yesterday, and noticed that two (same owner) had a notice that customers need to have a vaccine certificate AND result of weekly antigen test.

      1. I don’t want to start naming here what one single restaurant entrepreneur is doing. I think most of the entrepreneur’s in Madeira have to go through difficult times and cope with changing rules and regulations.

  17. Hi Tobi,

    I booked my test yesterday in town at Farmácia Avenida and they did not mention payment just told me it would be in the blue tent by the cathedral, I will go in and ask today. Booked my test for next week as we are moving to another hotel outside Funchal with no testing nearby.

  19. hi tobi – do you know if certified ( fit to fly type ) lateral flow tests issued in the uk will be acceptable for use to access the facilities in funchal . we are arriving on monday , hopefully . keep up the good work

      1. Well in Finland the cheapest for one person (if you get the time to fit your travel) is 100€ before travelling. It might be even 250€ per person for rapid test at airport per person…. so cheap at there when family of 3 travelling… loads of risk scenario calculations going here at the moment. So if I take RCP at home 24 hour before boarding for 8 days holiday (2 jabs) am I fine staying at hotel and going some restaurants at the beginning of holiday?

  21. There’s no way only digital certificates will be accepted. There are plenty of very old people who don’t use phones and can’t be expected to carry stuff like that around with them.

  22. I inquired about an antigen test when we arrive at the FNC airport for our winter holiday. This was the response…

    Hello Kelly,

    We offer both antigen and PCR tests in airports and in the city center. The cost of the antigen test is €25, if you want to make in the city center prices may be plus €5 due appointment.

    The tests at Airports can be done by walk-in, without any appointment in the departures area and in the parking station (P1) in Airport of Lisbon. The Antigen takes up to 2h to be sent in your email.

    If you still want some help let us know so we can continue to help as soon as possible.

    Best regards,

    Paulo Lopes
    SYNLAB Portugal
    Apoio ao Cliente

    Tlf.: 808 303 203
    Email: geral@synlab.pt
    Web: http://www.synlab.pt

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