Switzerland, Jamaica and Czech Republic put on red list

SWITZERLAND, Jamaica and the Czech Republic have been added to the Government’s quarantine list for travellers to self-isolate on arrival in the UK – but Cuba has been removed to allow holidays in the Caribbean island.

Holidaymakers in the countries have until 4am on Saturday to return to avoid 14 days in self-isolation, although flights from the Czech Republic appeared sold out and those from Switzerland faced ticket prices of £493 from Geneva and £377 from Zurich.

Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, warned travellers that “things can (and do sometimes) change quickly”. He was forced to self-isolate after Spain, where he was on holiday, had quarantine re-imposed.

“Only travel if you are content to unexpectedly 14-day quarantine on return,” he tweeted.

Switzerland, Jamaica and the Czech Republic had all seen their Covid-19 rates rise in the past week, taking them past 20 cases per 100,000 people.

The data show nearly all countries are seeing an increase in Covid-19 cases as travel restrictions have been lifted.

Paul Charles, chief executive of The PC Agency, a travel consultancy, said the lengthening list of countries being added to the quarantine list was undermining the concept of air bridges.

Meanwhile, the number of people arriving in the UK by air in July was 1.3million – 89 per cent lower than the 11.1 million during the same month last year, Home Office figures show. But the figures indicate a rise in air travel since the start of the pandemic. Average monthly arrivals by air in April, May and June were below 200,000.