Coronavirus: Switzerland latest to join UK's quarantine list
27 August 2020
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Image copyrightEPA/JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT
Image captionTourists wearing face coverings visit Switzerland's Matterhorn mountain
Travellers in Switzerland, Jamaica and Czech Republic who return to the UK from 04:00 on Saturday are to be required to self-isolate for two weeks.
The UK government said the move was needed to keep UK infection rates down.
People arriving in Scotland from Switzerland are already required to self-isolate .
Cuba, where there has been a drop in cases, will be added to the list of destinations people can return from without entering quarantine.
The UK considers imposing quarantine conditions when a country's rate of infection exceeds 20 cases per 100,000 people over seven days.
The government said there has been a "consistent increase" in the weekly case rate in Switzerland over the past four weeks, with cases per 100,000 rising from 18.5 to 22 over the past week.
It added that Jamaica's seven-day rate rose from 4.3 on August 20 to 20.8 on Thursday, equating to a 382% increase.
Meanwhile, the Czech Republic has seen a "consistent increase" over the past three weeks, with a 25% spike from 1,723 between August 14-20 to 2,153 over the following seven days.
More than 1.6m Britons travelled to Switzerland last year, the Swiss Tourism Federation said, drawn by the Alps and the mountain air.
The Czech Republic sees more than 300,000 British tourists every year, according to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The capital Prague is a popular destination for city breaks and stag dos.
Katarina Hobbs, director of CzechTourism UK and Ireland, insists the country "remains a safe country to travel to", adding she hoped the British government would reconsider it "very soon".
Video captionCoronavirus: How to fly during a global pandemic
The Foreign Office is now advising against all but essential travel to the Czech Republic, Jamaica and Switzerland.
UK tourists in those countries are being told to follow local rules and check the FCO travel advice.
In a tweet , Transport Secretary Grant Shapps warned British holidaymakers to "only travel if you are content to unexpectedly 14-day quarantine on return".
There had been concern about a rising number of Covid cases in Gibraltar , but it remains on the UK's quarantine exemption list.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionThe celebration in Prague came as the Czech Republic loosened its lockdown restrictions
In July, thousands of guests sat at a 500 metre-long (1,640ft) table on the Charles Bridge in Prague at a party held to give the coronavirus a "symbolic farewell".
The event's organiser said the celebration in the Czech capital was possible due to a lack of tourists in the city.
In Switzerland, a state of emergency was declared in March, with the government ordering the closure of schools, restaurants, bars and all the ski slopes.
But by June, as cases of Covid-19 started to fall across Europe and more travel was permitted, it reopened its mountain railways and cable cars.
Quarantine rules are set by each UK nation separately, but the DfT said equivalent measures are being put in place in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Wales has made one further change - adding Singapore to its list of exemptions.
Last week restrictions were lifted on those returning from Portugal, but added for travellers coming back from Croatia, Austria and Trinidad and Tobago .
In July, travellers returning to the UK from Spain were caught out by the government's decision to advise against all but non-essential travel to the mainland and islands after a spike in cases in the country.
And two weeks ago, visitors to France were given a few days' notice that they would face a quarantine on their return home to the UK.
Sad to hear it 🥺.Peace may be prevailed among us.