Cyprus and Lithuania added to UK quarantine list

  • Published
People walking along a beach in CyprusImage source, Getty Images

Travellers returning to the UK from Cyprus and Lithuania from 04:00 GMT on Sunday must self-isolate for two weeks, the transport secretary has said.

Grant Shapps said no countries were being added to the UK's government's list of travel corridors this week.

UK travellers returning from other holiday destinations such as Italy, France and Spain must also isolate.

But the Spanish Canary Islands, the Maldives, and Denmark were recently added to the safe list.

The changes apply to citizens from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

The decision to remove Cyprus and Lithuania from the safe list comes after a rise in coronavirus cases in both countries.

Lithuania's seven-day rate of cases per 100,000 people has reached 140, while Cyprus is on 112.

Explaining the decision, the Department for Transport said: "There has been a consistent increase in Covid-19 cases per 100,000 of the population in Cyprus over the last two weeks, with a 79% increase in total cases over this time period.

"In Lithuania, new cases per week have increased by 47% over the same time period."

The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has also updated its travel advice to advise against all but essential travel to Cyprus and Lithuania.

People who do not self-isolate when they are supposed to can be fined £1,000 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or £480 in Scotland.

Fines in England for persistent offenders have doubled to £10,000.

Mr Shapps has said he is "hopeful" a new testing regime for arrivals to Britain can be in place by 1 December, reducing the amount of time people need to spend in quarantine.