Madeira deserves to stay on the UK green list and should not be categorised with the rest of mainland Europe, according to local officials.

The archipelago is 1,077 kilometres away in the Atlantic.

Madeira is a very popular destination and currently offers 22 direct flights per week from several airports in the UK.

In the past month there has been a 45 per cent decrease in Covid-19 cases in Madeira and there are only 150 active cases (22 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last seven days, versus 33 cases per 100,000 in the UK), which is one of the lowest rates in Europe.

There are no registered cases of the Delta (India) variant in the destination.

Furthermore 38 per cent of the population has been vaccinated, including most tourism professionals. 

Eduardo Jesus, regional secretary for tourism and culture, said of the announcement: “The UK decision is unfair, inadequate, and unfounded.

“An urgent review is required for Madeira for positive discrimination.

“We are utilising all channels to reinforce this message with the decision-makers in the UK, who will find it hard to encounter an alternative European tourist destination with the same level of security as Madeira and Porto Santo.”

Since the start of the pandemic, the archipelago has been considered one of the safest destinations in Europe and has been praised for its response.