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Thursday 20 August 2020 8:58 pm

Portugal added to UK’s Covid-19 safe travel list

By: Jessica Clark

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Ministers will today meet to sign off on changes to the UK's travel "green list", with reports that popular holiday destination Portugal could be switched to "amber" after a surge in cases.
There are reports that Portugal could be taken off the 'green list' today due to a surge in Covid cases.

Britons on holiday in Portugal will no longer need to quarantine when they return after the country was added to the UK’s safe travel list. 

The rule change, which comes into force at 4am on Saturday, means UK tourists do not have to self-isolate for two weeks after returning from Portugal. 

Travellers that return from Portugal to the UK before Saturday will still be required to quarantine, the government said. 

“Data shows we can now add Portugal to those countries included in travel corridors,” transport secretary Grant Shapps said on Twitter. 

“As with all air bridge countries, please be aware that things can change quickly. Only travel if you are content to unexpectedly 14-day quarantine if required.”

Meanwhile, several countries have been taken off the safe travel list. 

Austria, Croatia and Trinidad and Tobago have all been removed from the UK’s coronavirus travel corridor list.

Anyone returning from those countries after 4am on Saturday morning will have to stay home for two weeks.

The move comes after Aruba, France, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands and Turks and Caicos Islands were removed from the list last week.

It was reported this week that Greece, a popular destination for UK holidaygoers, could be taken off the list amid fears over rising coronavirus cases.

However the country currently remains on the list of destinations without a self-isolation requirement. 

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