The Alicante-Elche airport and Health Exterior began yesterday to verify that tourists arriving in the province from countries with a strong incidence of covid -at the moment, all those who send tourists to the Costa Blanca except Norway- land with a negative PCR in covid valid from 72 hours before starting the trip. Travelers who do not bring it and are positive are exposed to fines of up to 6,000 euros and must get one immediately, in addition to being quarantined. Health has 16,800 prepared antigen testsin the terminal, where yesterday normality was absolute. Few tourists and all with negative PCR. The entry into force of the government order to require the tests affected passengers who landed from Brussels, Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Copenhagen, Cologne, London, Maastricht and Bremen.

A necessary measure, which, however, has aroused new suspicions in the tourist employers, due to the excessive cost of the tests (up to 120 euros for the 40 euros of antigens), the price of which is more expensive than, for example, the plane ticket in low season. Just yesterday, the Ryanair company offered the roundtrip flight between Alicante and the German city of Bremen for 75 euros. Hosbec, Cehat and Exceltur demand that the Government require the antigen test, as used in Greece, Italy and Portugal. The CEO of Meliá and president of Exceltur, Gabriel Escarrer, considers that the PCRs in origin discourage tourism, since they cost more than the plane ticket. Test that are as safe as PCR and with much faster results, although it has not been fully demonstrated that the detection capacity is as effective in asymptomatic patients.

Tour operators such as TUI, Fti, Jet2, Apollo and Ving, which are the main emitters from Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and Ireland, have warned, on the other hand, that if only the PCR is valid it will be very difficult to lift the season of winter, although the quarantines end from January.

Since yesterday, all those passengers who come from a country / area of ​​high risk in relation to coronavirus have to present, in order to enter Spain, a certificate with a negative result made within 72 hours prior to their arrival in Spain.

Travel agencies, tour operators, air or maritime transport companies and any other agent that sells tickets in isolation or as part of a combined trip must inform passengers, at the beginning of the process of selling tickets to Spain, as well as in the process of issuing the boarding pass, the obligation to present the health control form at the destination airport or port.

Upon arrival in Spain, if passengers do not adequately accredit the performance of a PCR with a negative result during the documentary health control, they must undergo the Active Infection Diagnostic Test (PDIA) established by the Foreign Health services. Passengers who, after conducting temperature controls, visual control or documentary control, are determined to be suspected of having covid, must submit to the PDIA.Health has provided 16,800 antigen tests at the provincial airport for passengers who cannot prove if they had a PCR done 72 hours before the trip, something that must be reflected in a QR code. If the result of the antigen test is negative, the passenger continues the trip. If it is positive, you will be transferred to an isolated room in the terminal awaiting repatriation , unless you require medical attention. In this case you will be transferred to a hospital.