UK to impose compulsory quarantine on arrivals from Switzerland
Switzerland has been added to the UK's mandatory quarantine list, due to increasing infection rates, meaning travellers to Britain will have to self-isolate or face a fine.
UK Transport secretary Grant Shapps confirmed on Thursday reports that travellers coming from Switzerland will have to quarantine for 14 days if they arrive in the UK after 4am on Saturday.
The Department of Transport said equivalent measures are being put in place in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Scotland had already moved to enforce quarantine for travellers from Switzerland last week.
"Data shows we need to remove the Czech Republic, Jamaica and Switzerland from our list of #Coronavirus Travel Corridors to keep infection rates DOWN," Transport Secretary Grant Shapps wrote on Twitter.
"Data also shows we can now add Cuba to those countries INCLUDED in Travel Corridors," he added, warning that people thinking of travelling abroad should be prepared for the advice to change at short notice.
The Times reported on Tuesday that the UK government is set to add Switzerland to its list of countries which require a mandatory 14-day quarantine on arrival.
Over the past fortnight, Switzerland has had 20.7 infections per 100,000 inhabitants - over the UK government threshold of 20.
Scotland has already added Switzerland to its mandatory quarantine list, with arrivals needing to quarantine from August 22nd onwards.
According to the Times, the UK will add Switzerland to the list when it meets on the weekend of August 29th.
At a previous meeting, on August 13th, the UK elected not to add Switzerland to the list.
Switzerland's threshold for requiring a mandatory quarantine is however much higher than that in the UK, set at 60 new infections per 100,000.
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UK Transport secretary Grant Shapps confirmed on Thursday reports that travellers coming from Switzerland will have to quarantine for 14 days if they arrive in the UK after 4am on Saturday.
The Department of Transport said equivalent measures are being put in place in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Scotland had already moved to enforce quarantine for travellers from Switzerland last week.
"Data shows we need to remove the Czech Republic, Jamaica and Switzerland from our list of #Coronavirus Travel Corridors to keep infection rates DOWN," Transport Secretary Grant Shapps wrote on Twitter.
"Data also shows we can now add Cuba to those countries INCLUDED in Travel Corridors," he added, warning that people thinking of travelling abroad should be prepared for the advice to change at short notice.
The Times reported on Tuesday that the UK government is set to add Switzerland to its list of countries which require a mandatory 14-day quarantine on arrival.
Over the past fortnight, Switzerland has had 20.7 infections per 100,000 inhabitants - over the UK government threshold of 20.
Scotland has already added Switzerland to its mandatory quarantine list, with arrivals needing to quarantine from August 22nd onwards.
According to the Times, the UK will add Switzerland to the list when it meets on the weekend of August 29th.
At a previous meeting, on August 13th, the UK elected not to add Switzerland to the list.
Switzerland's threshold for requiring a mandatory quarantine is however much higher than that in the UK, set at 60 new infections per 100,000.
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