During a press conference, political party Juntos Pela Povo (JPP) expressed their disapproval with the Regional Governments current arrangements when dealing with visitors who test Covid-19 positive on arrival. In a statement they said “contrary to what the Government has said, it is not the tourists who are paying Covid related expenses but their intended hotel which are required to transfer a maximum amount of €141 a day to the hotel chosen by the Regional Government to house those infected without any market study or negotiation. ”
Rafael Nunes, the spokesman for the initiative, pointed out that the JPP defends the payment of compensation, but this should be included as part of individual tourist travel insurance, as indeed, it is already required for entry in numerous countries. “We are talking about policies with values of just over € 50 for a 14 day stay. That’s just over 3 euros a day. All policies should include medical expenses and hotel extensions during the recovery period of the patient and a companion, in case of infection with coronavirus.”
“To insist on this measure, along the lines that the Regional Government wants to apply, is to condemn these hotel units and local accommodations to failure, compulsory closure and, consequently, unemployment. It is necessary to protect the hotel sector, which is an essential part of our economy, and this highlights the need for the Regional Government to bring in new corrective measures.”
Although the move has been welcomed by many, others believe that with the high costs of travelling to Madeira, any increase in travel insurance could be detrimental to the islands fragile economy.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
