The UK has excluded Greece from a list of some 50+ countries to be exempted from a 14-day quarantine as of July 10, 2020. The decision has nothing to do with the epidemiological profile of the country in the European south. It is a tit-for-tat for Greece’s decision to ban direct flights to/from UK until July 15.
The U.S. and Greece are excluded from a list of around 60 countries and overseas territories that English holidaymakers can visit without needing to self-isolate on their return, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said Friday morning.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Shapps said the US is not included as “they have got very high numbers of infections”, while Greece does not feature as it has banned flights from the UK until July 15.
He said Greece would not be on the amber list to begin with, because the country was currently not allowing flights from the UK
He said countries on the list would be labelled as either amber or green, in line with a traffic-light system based on their prevalence of coronavirus.
All amber countries – including France, Germany, Italy and Spain – would have “reciprocal arrangements” in place, meaning travellers from the UK will not have to quarantine on arrival there either, Shapps said.
Greece was one of the first countries that had proposed “mutual lifting of the quarantine” on May 19. Still on June 20, there was talk that Greece was among the countries with which the UK would build “air bridges.”
However, Greek epidemiologists apparently decided otherwise. The direct flights ban until July 15 has been aiming to prohibit mass arrivals from the UK. Individual traveling has been possible, though, through transit countries.
On Thursday, Tourism Minister Haris Theoharis was still unclear as to when British tourists would be allowed in the country. In an interview with Sky News Tonight, Theoharis assured that “British tourists will be welcome in Greece this summer, with the dates to finalize by mid-July.”
about close monitoring of the current health situation in the United Kingdom, about the mutual lifting of all restrictions and the plan Greece is implementing so that tourists can have fun, safe and prevent any cases from spreading.
He added that Greece is closely monitoring the epidemiological situation in the UK for the mutual lifting of all restrictions and the plan Greece is implementing “so that tourists can have fun, be safe and prevent any possible infection cases from spreading.”
Most travellers to the UK currently have to self-isolate for two weeks.
The Foreign Office is also changing its blanket advice against all non-essential foreign travel as of Saturday.
The quarantine restrictions only came into force in early June, in a bid to stop coronavirus entering the country at a time when UK infections were falling
Quarantine restrictions for people returning to or visiting England from the green countries will be lifted as of July 10.
The British government is to publish the full list on Friday afternoon.
In a surprise development on Friday afternoon, UK put Greece on the quarantine-free list of “travel corridors” countries for travel to England.
PS At least we will now know that Boris Johnson’ father, Stanley, will have to go into quarantine when he returns form Pelion to UK….
What is wrong with the British government the economy is under so much strain yet they can exclude a country that has managed the crisis better than ourselves a country that will welcome us back in two weeks what is the issue stupidity and tit for tat seem to be in charge. The Government needs to grow up and look at issues through the normal persons viewpoint oh sorry, I forget they never do that. Thought with Boris in charge things for the majority things would change for the better, again it seems once in power normalcy is forgotten an ex public school boys with no idea of the struggle real life whisper in the Pam’s ear and stupidly he listens rather than be guided by his own mind. Come on get it sorted I am a disabled husband and home owner at the mercy of faceless beaurocrats who need to live in the real world.
Thank goodness that the Brits are doing the Greeks a favour with their action they have created a monumental stuff up beyond beyond belief which has killed thousands through their their irresponsible negligent “leadership”.
Boris’s tragically dangerous stupidity is totally unfathomable, seems like he and Trump have more in common than their stupid hairdos
Hi,
I quite agree. It will be a pleasure to go to Greece and stay for several months in a Country that knows how to protect its citizens, if that means we have to be tested and quarantined to protect the Greeks then so be it. Greece is a lot safer place whilst Covid-19 is around than the UK which is supposedly a world-beater at everything. D not want to be in the UK at years end when we crash out of the transition period with EU without a deal!!!
Luckily we have Residency!
All the best.
I think you are wrong citing this in the above article. Greece is one of a long list of countries today granted exemption from quarantine from the 10th July unless they have visited or stopped in any country not on the exemption list in the previous 14 days. This is all clearly started on http://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus
Therefore, the majority of people coming to the UK from Greece from the 10th July will NOT have to self isolate.
Surely accuracy in an article is paramount!!
GR is on the list it just came out.
Greece are on the the list, you are wrong. No tit for tat at all just incorrect facts.
Agree completely – Greece is on the list of NO quarantine on entry to UK
Really need to take this misleading article down now!
right. newspapers cut out their articles retrospective when new developments on an issue.