Jet2 Refuses to Refund Scottish Tourists Scheduled to Fly to Portugal

Jet2 has insisted it will NOT pay refunds out to Scottish holidaymakers scheduled to fly out to Portugal.

THIS comes as travellers due to head over to the holiday hotspot were dealt a blow last week when the Scottish Government imposed new travel restrictions based on Portugal’s rising coronavirus rates. Anyone arriving back to Scotland from Portugal will now be required to self-isolate for 14 days causing outrage and confusion among holidaymakers already in the country.

Portugal could be put back on England’s travel quarantine list this week as its coronavirus rate continues to increase, a statement is expected this week from UK health secretary Matt Hancock. The country is now in the ‘red zone’ with 24.3 cases per 100,000, according to travel expert Paul Charles from The PC Agency. Holidaymakers returning from Portugal to Scotland and Wales are already required to self-isolate.

Portugal’s coronavirus cases continue to rise

Portugal, with a population of just 10 million people, has reported just 1,838 deaths so far, which is a far lower rate per capita than in many European countries including its neighbour, Spain. The country had won praise in the beginning for its quick response to the pandemic, however, a recent wave of localised outbreaks in Lisbon has caused concern for authorities and forced them to re-impose some restrictions.

The majority of the new coronavirus cases that were registered on Saturday were in and around the city of Lisbon and further north, where the country’s second-biggest city Porto is located.

The government has said that stricter measures to curb the coronavirus outbreak will be introduced across Portugal this month as students return to schools and many workers return to the office, although exact details have yet to be announced.

Protecting the nation and industry

The Portuguese Prime Minister has asked the population to wear reusable masks that are manufactured in Portugal, thus allowing to protect jobs in the environment industry and also in national companies.

PM António Costa was speaking to journalists in São Bento, after receiving audience representatives of associations of the textile and clothing sectors, who offered him a box with copies of some of the approximately 2,500 models of community masks already certified and produced by local Portuguese companies.

“The use of the mask is indispensable. And the use of the reusable mask produced by the Portuguese industry achieves three in one. Being reusable is environmentally friendly, protects us against the pandemic, but also protects the jobs of those who work in textile companies,” he justified.

“Let’s use these masks. There are for all tastes and shapes. Some more colourful, some more sober, some with more design, some with less design, but all protect us against Covid-19, all protect our economy and the environment,” he added.