Switzerland, Jamaica and the Czech Republic added to the UK quarantine list giving holidaymakers until 4am on Saturday to get home or face self isolating for 14-day - but Cuba is given the all clear
- Travellers arriving in the UK after 4am on Saturday will have to self-isolate
- Transport Secretary Grant Shapps made the announcement this evening
- But in good news for other holidaymakers, Cuba has been removed from the list
Britons on holiday in Switzerland, Jamaica and the Czech Republic face a mad dash to get home after they were added to the UK's quarantine list.
Travellers arriving in the UK after 4am on Saturday from those nations will have to self-isolate for 14 days, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced this evening.
But in good news for other holidaymakers, Cuba has been removed from the quarantine list, he announced.
The Government held its weekly review of travel measures today with an announcement likely to be made this evening on any changes.
The UK has said that any country which records more than 20 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in a seven-day period will be subject to a travel ban and the 14 day self-isolation requirement for returning travellers.
The DfT said there has been a 'consistent increase' in the rate in Switzerland over the past four weeks, reaching 22.0 on Thursday.
It added that Jamaica's rate rose from 4.3 on August 20 to 20.8 on Thursday, while the Czech Republic has seen 'a consistent increase in newly reported cases' over the past three weeks, with a 25 per cent spike from 1,723 between August 14-20 to 2,153 during the following seven days.
Writing on Twitter Mr Shapps said: 'Data shows we need to remove the Czech Republic, Jamaica and Switzerland from our list of #Coronavirus Travel Corridors to keep infection rates DOWN.
Satats showed that Jamaica was dangerously close to the threshold for quarantine with a seven day rate of 19.8 per 100,000 before the decision was made
Switzerland has also been added to the list of quarantine nations
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The coronavirus case rate in Italy is currently at 10.8 per 100,000 which suggests the country is unlikely to face quarantine restrictions in the coming weeks. Termini railway station in Rome is pictured on August 23
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is widely expected to unveil the latest changes to travel rules tonight
'If you arrive in the UK after 0400 Saturday from these destinations, you will need to self-isolate for 14 days.
'Data also shows we can now add Cuba to those countries INCLUDED in Travel Corridors. As with all air bridge countries, please be aware that things can (and do sometimes) change quickly. Only travel if you are content to unexpectedly 14-day quarantine on return.'
The Department for Transport (DfT) said equivalent measures are being put in place in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Scotland took Switzerland off its list last week.
The DfT advised British travellers in Switzerland, Jamaica and the Czech Republic to 'follow the local rules and check the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) travel advice pages'.
People hoping to return to the UK on Friday before the quarantine requirement is introduced face a struggle.
All direct flights from Prague to London appear to be sold out.
Swiss International Air Lines was selling seats on a flight from Geneva to Heathrow departing on Friday afternoon for £493, while flights from Zurich cost £377.
The latest statistics showed the seven-day rate in the Czech Republic is now at 19.4 cases per 100,000, up from 16 a week ago and only just below the threshold.
Jamaica was appears to be dangerously close to the threshold with a seven day rate of 19.8 per 100,000.
However, Italy remains on the UK Government's safe travel list. The case rate in Italy stands at just 10.8 per 100,000 which suggests the country is very unlikely to face action in the coming weeks.
Greece now also appears likely to stay on the safe list for the moment.
While the rate has ticked upwards in both countries, neither of them are near the UK's threshold for banning non-essential travel.
In Greece, the latest seven-day rate is 14.1 cases per 100,000 - roughly the same as a week ago (14.3), but up from where it was two weeks ago (10.1).
The latest figures were calculated based on data collected by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
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