A FORMER Droitwich resident now living in Portugal says Brits missed out on flights back to the UK ahead of new quarantine rules going live due to a lack of Covid tests.

Thousands of UK tourists were left scrambling to leave on the 39 flights scheduled to depart from Faro Airport in the Algarve for the UK today (Monday), nearly double the usual total.

Travellers had to arrive in the UK before 4am tomorrow (Tuesday) or self-isolate at home for 10 days after the British government’s controversial decision to remove Portugal from its green travel list.

Tourists wanting to beat the deadline were hit by a combination of many flights being sold out and the handful of available seats being sold at inflated prices but also a logistical nightmare according to Matthew Baker.

"People have been unable to fly on their booked return flights as they were unable to get an appointment for a Covid test to return to the UK," said Mr Baker.

"Clinics were swamped with people whose dilemma was trying to coordinate new flight bookings and Covid tests within the 72-hour requirements.

"So much for the Global Taskforce giving people time to plan without the panic of last year."

Mr Baker said there had been 94 departures from Faro on Sunday, 56 of which were to UK airports. He said an estimated 10,000 returned to the UK with around 2,500 arriving despite the new restrictions.

"We left to move to Portugal for early retirement," he continued.

"Where we live in the Eastern Algarve it is less touristy than west of Faro, which is more of a hotel-based holiday zone, so Tavira is more of a working town than the hotspot resorts but the area is still attractive to all nationalities, so over this side of the Algarve it's less reliant on British visitors.

"In the Algarve as a whole there are less than 120 cases per 100,000, with many municipalities well below that figure.

"We have had 10 positive Covid cases in the past 14 days out of a population of 25,000. The new variants are not of concern here at all, and figures are negligible.

"Portugal today registers 388 new cases and two deaths. The majority of the new cases are in the Lisbon and Porto regions where increased testing is taking place.

"Thinking back nine days ago to the European Championship final in Porto, Manchester City and Chelsea fans who did not follow the Covid rules here. Nor did Michael Gove for that matter!

"The ridiculous switch to amber has meant chaos to people who were unable to reschedule flights and get Covid tests in time.

"People were missing flights at Faro because they had assumed that getting a rapid antigen test at the airport prior to their flight would be possible. Sadly not. 

"It's fair to say that businesses here are understandably confused why the UK has suddenly changed tack. Even a local cafe owner today chatted to us about it all being political.

"Why do Brits returning to the UK, who have had a negative test allowing them to fly, need to have tests on days two and eight while still quarantining? Apart from the fact that people aren't getting their results in time to fly here, or back, or during the 10 day quarantining.

"The costly UK tests need to be administered by businesses who are contactable too, as many are not.

"We ourselves are awaiting our second vaccination and were preparing to start to make plans to return to the UK to see family this summer, but having to quarantine whilst staying with them would not be possible. They need to work too. 

"Last August we managed to get back for a week in the window of opportunity that arose when the UK government allowed Portugal on the travel corridor.

"At that stage thankfully there were no Covid testing requirements. Since then we haven't been able to travel back, nor family been allowed to travel to us.

"Not all visitors to Portugal are holidaymakers but those who are do stand out a mile, with many unsure of what to do and how to behave in public."