The president of the Regional Government, Miguel Albuquerque, assumed, this afternoon, that “there is less affluence of public” in the Christmas Market on Avenida Arriaga, with a requirement for vaccination and tests to Covid-19, but he stressed that it will not alleviate the rules because that is an area that requires greater control, because there are food and beverage stalls and where people remove their mask.
“Whether the business is weak or strong, it will be like that because I’m not going to change the rules. No way! First, there is health and collective interest. But I also don’t think anyone will want to leave this. We have a very large waiting list” of those interested in the tents, declared the government official, during his visit to the space, in the company of other members of the Government and the Azorean regional secretary, Duarte Freitas.
Anyway, Albuquerque recalled that the Mercadinho is still in its infancy and “has been going very well” and that “when the Christmas dinners start, a lot of people will come” to that place.
It should be noted that, right at the beginning of the visit, Albuquerque was approached by a tourist, who was part of a small group from Manchester, who praised the “fantastic” organization of Christmas festivities in Madeira and recommended the Madeiran chief executive to teach the government of Boris Johnson.