Covid 19 In Europe New Restrictions And Restraint In Portugal

A new Covid-19 variant may be sweeping across Europe, but in Portugal, omicron is being met with new restrictions — and restraint. From the olive orchards of Alentejo to the suburbs of Lisbon, reaction to the new variant has been characteristically low-key. The Portuguese tourism industry, slammed by the Covid outbreak two years ago, is operating as you would expect during a pandemic off-season. Visitors are few and far between, for now. But that's about to change. On Dec. 1, Portugal announced new Covid restrictions, including a requirement to show proof of a negative coronavirus test to enter bars, large events and nursing homes. Portugal also requires visitors to have a EU digital certificate to stay in a hotel or eat in an indoor restaurant. Masks are mandatory in closed spaces. This stands in sharp contrast to the list of European countries closing again because of coronavirus. For example, Austria, which is experiencing a seasonal surge in Covid cases, imposed a full lockdown in late November. Travel to Austria for tourism purposes isn't permitted until December 13, at the earliest. Slovakia followed suit with a two-week lockdown in late November. Germany has added new Covid restrictions. Ireland yesterday announced plans to close nightclubs and re-establish social distancing requirements in pubs, restaurants and hotels starting Dec. 7. Other European countries are reportedly considering similar measures. It's unknown whether the omicron variant could extend those lockdowns — or tighten them. Visitors to Europe are on edge, says Narendra Khatri, principal at Insubuy, a travel insurance company. He predicts more lockdowns, particularly in northern Europe.“It’s like the delta variant all over again,” he says. “People have been calling in the last week, asking about the lockdowns in Austria and Germany. They want to know if they will be able to go. What if travel is delayed? What if they get stuck?”A “cancel for any reason” travel insurance policy would cover a cancellation for a European trip, he notes. “A regular policy would only cover you if something happens to you — if you get sick or you get injured,” he adds. I've been in Portugal since early November. It's my first stop on an around-the-world trip to explore how the world is emerging from the Covid crisis. Last week, I checked in from the Portuguese islands of the Azores and noted its extreme caution when when it came to testing requirements. But on the mainland, the response to Covid and the emerging threat of the omicron variant has been more restrained. In my last report, I predicted that the division between locked-down Northern Europe and less restrictive southern European countries like Portugal and Spain might deepen. And in one respect, that has already happened. Attitudes toward Covid, particularly the omicron variant, are noticeably different. Portugal has a quiet confidence you might expect of a country where 86% of the population is vaccinated.


All data is taken from the source: http://forbes.com
Article Link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherelliott/2021/12/04/covid-19-in-europe-new-restrictions-and-restraint-in-portugal/


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