MAI – the ministry of internal administration – reports today that more than 1,400 passengers and 38 airlines have been fined for non-compliance since the application of strict new Covid rules for entry into Portugal (click here).
On the basis that fines for airlines start at €20,000 per passenger (and can go up to €40,000), this suggests the State is raking in money: 1,400 x 20,000 equals €28 million – and that’s before one factors in the minimum fines for those 1,400 passengers, which would add at least another €420,000 to the mix.
These are just the general numbers: exact numbers will be higher.
Curiously, no reports are explaining the dizzying sums of money that should be pouring in; nor whether or not, for example, airlines are actually paying.
Airlines were strongly against these measures when they were announced (click here). There were even rumblings from Brussels that they were “not proportionate”, nor applied according to EU protocol (click here).
Reports today simply reiterate the rules: that all airline passengers arriving in Portugal must present a negative test for SARS-CoV-2, irrespective of their vaccine status, or certified proof that they have recovered from Covid-19 (and are within the requisite period allowed before vaccination). The only travellers exempt from showing test certification are vaccinated passengers on internal flights, airline crew and children under the age of 12.
With regard to land borders, MAI adds that up to December 19 a total of 4,635 random checks were carried out, targeting 30,581 vehicles (private cars, goods vehicles, motorcycles, trains and buses).
In all these checks only 32 people were found without a valid test result or certificate of recovery.
