PEOPLE returning to England after trips to Spain, Italy and Germany will no longer have to self-isolate for 14 days from 6 July.
People returning back to the UK after trips away to countries including Spain, Italy and Germany will no longer be required to self-isolate for 14 days it has been announced. The Department of Transport (DoT) said a number of countries will be exempt from the current requirement in the UK for all returning travellers to self-isolate for two weeks.
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Currently, most people arriving into the UK from anywhere apart from the Republic of Ireland have been required to self-isolate for two weeks.
However from the 6th July, Brits can go on holiday or visit loved ones without having to self-isolate on return.
All passengers, except those on a small list of exemptions, will still be required to provide contact information on arrival into the UK.
The full list of those countries exempt is due to be published on Friday.
The Department of Transport said: “This will mean that holidaymakers travelling to and from certain destinations will not need to self-isolate on either leg of their journey.”
It added that the list of exempt countries will be “kept under constant review, so that if the health risks increase, self-isolation measures can be re-introduced to help stop the spread of the disease into England.”
The government expects a number of the exempted countries will not require Brits to self-isolate when visiting.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) recently made major changes to its travel pages, with new infomation for Brits about visiting some of the popular summer destinations.
In Spain, travellers are now advised that they will no longer be required to self-isolate upon arrival but must meet three requirements.
The FCO explains: “On arrival, travellers entering Spain from the UK will not be required to self-isolate. However, they will be subject to the following three requirements: provide contact information and any history of exposure to COVID-19; temperature check [and] undergo a visual health assessment.”
It is possible that up to 75 countries deemed low or very low risk will be exempt from the UK’s quarantine from 6 July.
The government plans to introduce a traffic light system that would classify countries as safe or otherwise, depending on the prevalence of the virus.
Countries will be graded on either green, meaning they are safer than the UK, amber, meaning they are less sage than green countries, or red, which may result in any passengers returning from them still needing to isolate for two weeks.
In Italy, you will only need to self-isolate if you have travelled outside the UK in the 14 days prior to your arrival in Italy or you will be arriving from a country for which there are still self-isolation requirements.
Travel companies have called on the government to publish its list as soon as possible, to end the confusion.
Some countries on the list do still have restrictions on people travelling in the other direction, from the UK.
This change could help Brits go abroad on holiday easier, or to see relatives. It could also help boost the UK tourism industry, which has been devastated by coronavirus.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that this change marked “the next step in carefully reopening our great nation.”
He said: “The entire nation has worked tirelessly to get to this stage, therefore safety must remain our watch word and we will not hesitate to move quickly to protect ourselves if infection rates rise in countries we are reconnecting with.”
There are now no restrictions on entry into Germany from elsewhere in the EU including the UK.
The German Interior Ministry has confirmed that travellers from the UK are no longer required to demonstrate a valid reason in order to enter Germany.
Although mainland France is now considered to be a “green” zone, wearing masks on public transport and in taxis is compulsory with fines for those who are not compliant with the rules.
France is welcoming visitors from the UK and are no longer required to demonstrate to French authorities that their travel is essential but are asked to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival in mainland France.
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