British tourists are being warned that France and Germany could join the UK mandatory quarantine list as both countries are facing lockdowns as the R rate has risen above 1.
French health authorities have confirmed that the R rate had risen to 1.3 over the weekend, with daily infections had soared to 1,130.
The French Prime Minister Jean Castex said they cannot rule out a second lockdown and for localised measures will be imposed, where there are higher infection rates.
Germany’s R rate has risen above 1 on Saturday to 1.08 up from 0.93 the previous day. German health authorities have traced this back to large gatherings and travellers who have been returning back to the country.
The British government are not confirming either way if France and Germany will be place on to the quarantine list, but Health Minister Helen Whatley said the situation with European holiday destinations is currently “under review.”
Whatley was asked by Sky News on Monday morning; will France and Germany be the next European countries to go onto the “quarantine list?”
She told Sky News, “We have to keep the situation under review and I think that is what the public would expect us to do.
“If we see rates going up in a country where at the moment there is no need to quarantine, if we see the rates going up, we would have to take action because we cannot take the risk of coronavirus being spread again across the UK.”
On Saturday evening the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) announced against all but essential travel to Spain.
The FCO also announced that all British holidaymakers returning back to England will now have to go into a mandatory 14-day quarantine period.
According to the travel company The PC Agency some 1.8m holidays could be thrown into chaos over the British government’s move, after analysing seat bookings on flights.
Over the weekend, Tui the UK’s largest tour operator as suspended all flights expected to leave on Sunday, from the Canary Islands and Spain.
Hours before the new mandatory quarantine rules came into force on Saturday evening for all travellers leaving Spain for the UK, Tui’s managing directing Andrew Flintham made the announcement.
This follows the Foreign & Commonwealth Office advising againt all but essential travel to Spain, however this does not apply to the Canary Islands and the Balearics.
A UK government spokesman said, “The Joint Biosecurity Centre together with Public Health England have updated their coronavirus assessments of Spain based on the latest data.
“As a result, Spain has been removed from the lists of countries from which passengers arriving in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are exempted from the need to self-isolate.
“Protecting public health is our absolute priority and we have taken this decision to limit any potential spread to the UK.
“We’ve always been clear that we would act immediately to remove a country where necessary.”
Leave a Comment