BRITISH scientists raised the alarm about a fast-spreading new coronavirus in Portugal just 24 hours before the Champions League final was played there.
More than 12,000 Chelsea and Manchester City fans travelled to the country unaware of growing concern about the outbreak.
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An estimated 120 people in Lisbon had been found to have the new mutant strain.
But the data had not be analysed fully enough for ministers to rule on downgrading the country on to the amber list.
It was only after days of number crunching that Portugal was removed from the green list of quarantine-free travel.
Portugal was put on the green list on May 7, five days before Uefa decided to hold the Champions League final there, but was removed just five days after the match.
Ian Paisley, a member of the all-party aviation group of MPs, said: “You could be forgiven for thinking Portugal was put in the green zone so the game could be played. I sincerely hope not.”
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Many of the 100,000 Brits struggling to get home before the Tuesday 4am deadline are angry.
Jim Muldoon, 60, from Bognor Regis, West Sussex, said: “Next time I’ll just buy a caravan and go to Skegness.”
British Airways has laid on extra flights to fly Brits home.
