Travelers visiting the Azores have been advised to avoid the island of Sao Jorge, which has been pounded by more than 1,100 earthquakes in the last week.
Local officials have reported that seismic activity has been detected on the island, while it is important to note that no serious damage has been reported thus far. As a precaution, officials are attempting to evacuate citizens, especially those who are in the hospital or those who have mobility challenges, as a precaution.
Travel to the island has been restricted as a result of the precautionary steps taken by local authorities, with activities and trips being suspended as a result of the restrictions.
“The Portuguese Civil Protection authorities on the island of So Jorge have been monitoring an increase in seismic activity on the island of So Jorge since 19 March,” according to the UK Foreign Office’s revised advise for British citizens. As a precaution, they have triggered their earthquake prevention strategy and have recommended against any travel to the island save for absolutely necessary trips.
“Anyone already on the island of So Jorge is advised to avoid the sections of flat ground, known locally as Fajs, at the foot of the cliffs facing the sea in the Velas municipality,” the statement reads.
If you are planning a trip to Sao Jorge or the nearby locations, you may find out more about the destination and get up-to-date information on the Foreign Office website.
Following the recent earthquake activity, the President of the Regional Government of the Azores, José Manuel Bolieiro, said in a statement that officials were opting to use “extreme caution.” “Even if the incidents have not yet been spectacular in the sense of inflicting damage, it is important to be attentive and, in this situation, to operate with excessive caution rather than carelessness,” he told local media upon his arrival in So Jorge.
Although the remainder of the Azores has been impacted by the seismic activity, it is worth mentioning that if you have a vacation booked on another island, it is probable that everything will happen as planned. Travelers visiting the Azores will be subject to entrance regulations that are almost comparable to those that apply to visitors to the rest of Portugal.
Travelers who are unvaccinated or just partly vaccinated will need a negative Covid test before to their trip, whilst fully vaccinated Brits would not require one. This may be accomplished by a PCR test performed within 72 hours of travel or an antigen test performed within 48 hours of travel.
In addition, regardless of whether or not they have had a Covid vaccine, all travelers will be required to complete a passenger locator form before to traveling.
