Algarve Situation Report Friday 24th July 2020
Irish ‘will continue’ to travel to the Algarve, even with Portugal off the green list
João Fernandes, president of the Algarve Tourism Region, believes that the Irish “will continue” to seek the Algarve, because “the decision does not change the possibility of traveling”.
According to João Fernandes, “the rules that are now in force remain» and Faro Airport «maintains six routes, with two airlines, to five Irish cities”.
The official considers that the occupation of the flights “has been doing quite well, given the circumstances. We know that both these flights, as well as flights from the United Kingdom, have occupancy rates less achieved than other markets, but we are talking about rates that are making operations feasible”.
Therefore, João Fernandes believes that the Irish “will continue to travel” to the Algarve, even though they have to be subject to quarantine on their return to their country.
“The Irish have a strong connection to the Algarve. It is one of our top five markets. There are a lot of people with investments in the region who spend most of the year here. I think that, due to this decision [by the Irish government], there will be no changes in the demand that currently exists », since the flights were resumed.
The chairman of Turismo do Algarve also stresses that “the list in Ireland is much more restrictive than those drawn up by other countries” and that “the Government, despite having approved this list, continues to advise to avoid non-essential trips”.
Marcelo promised and will go to Boliqueime to visit the elderly at the Santa Casa home
The President of the Republic will be in Loulé on Sunday, the 26th, to, as promised, visit the nursing home of Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Loulé, where the most lethal focus of Covid-19 in the region was registered.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa will personally greet users and employees of the institution, to whom he had already sent a message of “friendship and gratitude” during a video call that he maintained with Sílvia Sebastião, the SCM provider in Boliqueime.
At the time, the head of state was invited to visit the home – after he said that he expected to go there and that he expected an invitation – and will now be present at the institution, where five deaths due to Covid-19 were recorded, all of users, and there were four dozen infected, mostly elderly, but also some employees.
The visit program also includes a session at the Igreja Matriz de Boliqueime and a dinner in Querença.