Politics
Spain and US could join England’s high-risk red list requiring hotel quarantine for all arrivals
SPAIN and the US could be added to England’s high-risk red list of 33 countries.
This means all travel to and from the country would be banned, excluding British nationals returning home.
Spain and the US could be added to England’s high-risk red list of 33 countries[/caption]
In addition, anyone entering England from these two countries would be required to self-isolate for ten days at a government-approved quarantine hotel, costing up to £1,750 per person.
There are currently 33 countries on the UK’s travel ban list which includes Portugal, South America and South African nations.
According to The Telegraph, the Department Of Transport met with health officials yesterday to discuss the latest date on new variants in both Spain and the US.
A decision will be made on whether to add the countries to the red list at the Cabinet Covid operations committee this week.
Both countries have seen local transmission of new variants that are of concern to the UK.
A decision will be made on whether to add the countries to the red list at the Cabinet Covid operations committee this week[/caption]
A government source told the newspaper: “The US and Spain are on the list so it means some of the bigger markets will be considered by officials as part of the discussions before being put to ministers.
“It will be based on evidence from the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC).”
Currently, travelling abroad for a holiday is banned under the new UK lockdown, but this hasn’t stopped people travelling for work or health reasons.
Anyone returning to the UK from Spain and the US currently needs to have a negative coronavirus test, taken no more than 72 hours before, followed by two further Covid tests on day 2 and day 8 of a 10-day quarantine at home.
They are also required to fill in a Passenger Locator Form.
Spain hotel boss Gabriel Escarrer has warned that the country won’t survive this summer until holidaymakers can return.
He wrote on Twitter: “Spain will not endure a second summer without tourism.”
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Meanwhile, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary predicted recently that Brits would “flock to the Spanish beaches” this summer due to the vaccine rollout.
He said, once the vaccination reduces the number of coronavirus-related deaths: “We expect to see a very strong return of British families travelling to the beaches of Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece in relative safety this summer thanks to the vaccine programme.”
Mr O’Leary added: “I think [there will be a] strong return to travel and normality for the travel sector by the end of 2021.”
