The UK government has removed several more countries from the travel corridors list, meaning arrivals from these destinations will have to quarantine for 14 days.
From 0400 tomorrow (Saturday August 29), arrivals into the UK from Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Jamaica will have to self-isolate.
The Department for Transport (DfT) said that “Data from the Joint Biosecurity Centre and Public Health England has indicated a significant change in both the level and pace of confirmed cases of coronavirus (Covid-19) in these countries, leading to ministers removing them from the current list of travel corridors”.
“There has been a consistent increase in the weekly incidence (case) rate of Covid-19 in Switzerland over the past four weeks, with a 19 per cent increase in weekly incidence (cases) per 100,000 between the 20 and 27 August 2020, from 18.5 on the 20 August to 22.0 on the 27 August.
“Data shows that there has been a consistent increase in newly reported cases in the Czech Republic over the past three weeks, with a 25 per increase from 1,723 between the 14 and 20 August 2020 to 2,153 between the 21 and 27 August. Data from Jamaica shows that the weekly incidence (cases) per 100,000 has increased from 4.3 on 20 August 2020 to 20.8 on 27 August. This equates to a 382 per cent increase.”
However Cuba has been added to the UK’s quarantine exemption list following a decrease in confirmed cases, meaning that from tomorrow arrivals will no longer have to self-isolate, providing they haven’t been in or transited through any other non-exempt countries in the 14 days preceding their arrival.
The news follows last week’s decision to add arrivals from Portugal to the exemption list.