Italy added to quarantine list as Crete travel ban lifted
Italy has been added to the UK’s quarantine list after cases surged to more than three times the set threshold for admission.
From 4am on Sunday morning, people entering the UK from the country will have to self-isolate for 14 days.
According to the latest figures, Italy is now reporting 64.4 cases per 100,000 over the last seven days, which places it above other countries such as Denmark and Jamaica which have already had restrictions reimposed.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps has said that any country reporting more than 20 cases per 100,000 over a week-long period would be in line to be added to the list.
A Whitehall source told City PM: “Half term is coming up, and infection rates are high. If we are telling you not to travel to Manchester, it’s hardly right that we say get on a packed plane and fly to Milan.”
There are now just four countries – Germany, parts of Greece, Sweden, and Liechtenstein – in Europe to which holidaymakers can go without fear of restrictions.
San Marino and Vatican City, which are both embedded within Italy, were also added.
However, people will now be able to travel to Crete, which has been added back on to the travel corridor list.
Shapps announced the update by tweet this afternoon.
For many, that Italy had not already been added to the list was something of a surprise, as infection rates were already above the UK’s threshold last week.
However, the last few days have seen a significant surge in cases, with 7,332 new infections reported yesterday.
That’s the highest daily number in Italy since 21 March and comes amid a second wave of infections across Europe.
Last week no new countries had restrictions reimposed, but five Greek islands were added back onto the travel corridor list.
It comes after Shapps yesterday revealed that the government was considering a “test and release” system in a bid to shorten quarantine restrictions.
Under the plan, travellers would take a test – at their own expense – “about a week” after arriving.
If negative, they would then be free to end quarantine early.