Quarantine – Government update

Business Travel News publishes here the two lists of countries where quarantine is usually no longer required when you return to the UK from 10 July.

If you fly from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland different rules apply. 

This is the Department for Transport listing.
www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-travel-corridors

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office advice on avoiding ‘all but essential’ travel is not identical but is the one that covers travel insurance validity.
www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-countries-and-territories-exempt-from-advice-against-all-but-essential-international-travel

Just to confuse matters you will still need to provide your contact information when you return to the UK, unless you fall into one of the categories on this list.
www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-travellers-exempt-from-uk-border-rules/coronavirus-covid-19-travellers-exempt-from-uk-border-rules

It is a great pity that the daily news conferences no longer take place.  Surely a brave journalist would have questioned the minister where he and his family were taking their holiday this coming August, and for the advisors to answer too.  If not an MP should raise the question with the Prime Minister in Parliament at PMQ's.

MORE INFORMATION

The PC Agency has carried out research into just how many of the countries on the FCO and DfT lists, published on Friday, are actually easily accessible for English visitors.

They discovered that just 25 out of the 74 named are – these are countries that don’t force English visitors to quarantine for 14 days and don’t have any border controls that stop English visitors entering.

The rest of the countries on the lists are either closed to international flights, or impossible to enter without either quarantine of some kind or major testing procedures.

Even St Lucia has a State of National Emergency until September, yet it’s on the lists. 

We’ve produced a handy map for consumers and the travel sector to reference – showing the countries we can actually get into from the UK as of now.

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OUR READERS' FINEST WORDS (All times and dates are GMT)

All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 100 words maximum

Jane Stanbury, Montreal

Does anybody have any idea why Canada has been OKayed by Europe but not by the UK for a travel corridor. It was on the list until the last moment. The FCO is giving the OK to travel to Canada even though the border is closed. Yet it is not allowing Canadians in without the 14 day quarantine when Canadian cases and deaths are significiantly lower than France, Spain, Italy and the UK. Our borders are closed to the USA. This is the only reason i can think that the country was nixed at the last minuted - does anybody out there have any idea why we are being subjected to the quarantine on arrival when visitors from countries with much more threatening stats are not....

Godfrey Smith, London

There are special rules for MP’s and overseas travel and let’s hope nobody get’s caught out abusing them. But I am sure some will try it! Godfrey Smith