Madeira demands PCR tests on arrival for another month

The government of Madeira has extended the requirement for a negative PCR test for Covid-19 for passengers from abroad arriving at ports and airports in the autonomous region for another month, the president of the regional government said on Wednesday.

The regional president explained that the measure authorising only the rapid antigen test, scheduled to come into force on July 1, will be revoked.

Miguel Albuquerque stressed that the decision stems from the worsening epidemiological situation in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region, where the Delta variant of the new coronavirus has become prevalent.

The head of the Madeiran government was speaking on the sidelines of a visit to the Domodelta – Instalações Elétricas company, in Funchal,

“We have a problem of spreading at the moment and a growing number of cases on the mainland,” he said, stressing that a “huge” arrival of mainland tourists is expected in Madeira during the summer.

“Evidently, the PCR test at the airports and ports of the Autonomous Region of Madeira gives us greater guarantees,” he stressed.

On the other hand, Miguel Albuquerque said that the Delta variant has not yet been detected in the archipelago, and the health authorities are awaiting the results of samples sent for analysis at the National Institute of Health (INSA).

“Now we cannot be so presumptuous as to think that, with the opening of ports and airports, this may not happen,” he warned, adding: “We are an island open to the outside, and therefore we are susceptible to having this variant here.

“In any case, what is important at this time is to contain and control imported cases and, for that, the PCR is more reliable”, he added.

According to the latest data from the regional health authority, the Madeira archipelago has 67 active cases of Covid-19 out of a total of 9,589 confirmed since the beginning of the pandemic and 72 deaths associated with the disease.