Portugal back on UK travel quarantine list as Sweden gets air bridge green light

Holidaymakers arriving in the UK from Portugal will once again need to self-isolate for 14 days, as the Government placed it back on the travel quarantine list.

The European nation joins Hungary, French Polynesia and Reunion as the latest territories to be axed from the group of so-called "travel corridors", the Transport Secretary announced on Thursday evening.

The reimposition of restrictions on Portugal – which will not include the Azores islands or Madeira – comes just weeks after it was put onto Downing Street's safe list, following a drop in coronavirus infections.

In a more positive development, travellers arriving from Sweden will not need to stay at home, as a new air bridge is formed with the Scandinavian country.

The new advice will come into force at 4am on Saturday, September 12.

Revealing the updated rules on Twitter, Grant Shapps said: “Data shows we need to remove Portugal (minus the Azores and Madeira), Hungary, French Polynesia and Reunion from the Travel Corridor list to keep everyone safe.

“If you arrive in England from these destinations after 4am Saturday, you will need to self-isolate for 14 days.

"Through enhanced data we now have the capability to assess islands separate to their mainland countries. If you arrive in England from the Azores or Madeira, you will NOT need to self-isolate for 14 days.”

The move comes a week after Scotland and Wales announced travel restrictions on mainland Portugal, with holidaymakers told they would need to self-quarantine for two weeks.

The two devolved nations, along with Northern Ireland, later confirmed they will also impose the new rules announced by Mr Shapps.

Mr Shapps then confirmed that Sweden has been added to the list of lower-risk destinations, allowing arrivals to avoid self-isolating when landing in England.

He tweeted: “This week, Sweden has been added to the Travel Corridors list. If you arrive in England from Sweden, you will not need to self-isolate for 14 days.”

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will also offer the same air bridge benefits to arrivals from Sweden.

Mr Shapps reiterated that all travellers returning to the UK are legally required to complete a Passenger Locator Form, stressing: "This is vital in protecting public health and ensuring those who need to are complying with self-isolation rules.

“It is a criminal offence not to complete the form and spot checks will be taking place.”

Portugal reported 646 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, which is its highest daily total since late April.

This means Portugal’s seven-day rate of cases per 100,000 people is 28.3.

The seven-day rate for Hungary is 31.6 and 71.3 in French Polynesia, while it was 10.8 in Sweden.

A seven-day rate of 20 is the threshold above which the Government considers triggering quarantine conditions.

The changes mean that UK holidaymakers face a scramble to return home before restrictions come into force.

But Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said the weekly review system was not helping to revive confidence in travel.

“I urge the Government to adopt a traffic lights system so that consumers are more clearly informed about countries at risk.," he said.

"This would reassure and enable people to book trips with more certainty.”

On Monday, the Department for Transport launched a new islands policy for travel corridors, which saw mainland Greece keep its exemption but seven islands have restrictions reimposed.

Meanwhile, more than a dozen airline leaders have written to Boris Johnson, warning that the islands policy is “by no means enough to support the sector”.

The letter, whose signatories include the chief executives of easyJet, Ryanair, British Airways and industry association Airlines UK, called for airport testing to be implemented before the end of September as a way of reducing self-isolation periods to five days.

It asked the Prime Minister to begin trialling tests on arrival and after five days on a route such as London-New York “to give ministers reassurance that a one-test-on-arrival system is safe”.

The airline leaders want certain mainland regions of countries to be added to the quarantine exemption list.

They also asked Mr Johnson to waive air passenger duty for 12 months and extend the Job Retention Scheme for aviation workers.

The letter warned that “our industry is in crisis” and the UK is “falling well behind international rivals”.

It concluded: “We ask you to act urgently to implement a programme of recovery for our sector.”

Read more

UK split over Portugal quarantine is confusing, minister admits

Coronavirus cases up by 2,919 as deaths rise by 14- LIVE

Health passports key to stadium returns, says League's testing company

Greek islands added to England's travel quarantine list

How quarantine lists for England, Wales, Scotland and N Ireland differ

A timeline of changes made to the UK's travel corridor list since June