Spike in Covid-19 cases at hotspot popular with Irish tourists risks Algarve reopening plans

Carefully staged tourism plans to re-open Portugal’s Algarve to sunseekers have been blown apart by a dramatic surge in confirmed Covid-19 cases linked to an illegal party near Lagos earlier this month.

Officials confirmed yesterday there are now 90 confirmed cases arising from a gathering of up to 100 people at a June 7 party in Odiáxere on the western Algarve. Most of the confirmed cases (48) live in Lagos, a hotspot for Irish holidaymakers.