Coronavirus: Turkey, Poland and three Caribbean islands added to UK’s quarantine list
Written by News on 02/10/2020
Holidaymakers are having to cut their trips short after Turkey and Poland were added to the UK’s coronavirus quarantine list, meaning travellers will have to self-isolate for two weeks on their return.
The rules will come into force for people arriving after 4am on Saturday.
The Caribbean islands of Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba have also been added to the list.
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Katrina, who is in Turkey and was meant to be heading home on Saturday, has had to change her flight to come back earlier to avoid self-isolation.
“I can’t afford to be in quarantine for two weeks because I have a daughter who is very vulnerable,” she told Sky News.
“I would never have come here if I thought it was an unsafe place to be. My experience here is that everyone has been extremely vigilant, far more than in the UK to be honest, following social distancing and wearing masks – they wear them all the time. I am so disappointed… I have no option but to go home early. I am totally devastated.”
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps also revealed that from Friday the penalties for people who refuse to self-isolate will be increased to a maximum of £10,000 for repeat offenders.
From this week, isolating is now a legal duty for anyone told to do so.
The quarantine system is meant to stop people from high-risk countries spreading coronavirus in the UK.
Countries with infection rates of 20 per 100,000 people are at particular risk of being added to the list.
The seven-day rate of new coronavirus cases in Poland stands at 25.9, up from 15.6 the previous week.
Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba also reported 142.4 new cases per 100,000, unchanged from the previous week.
Turkey’s rate has dropped to 12.9 cases, down from 14.2 the previous week.
But the Department for Transport said it had been added to the quarantine list in light of the country’s health ministry revealing it has been recording new cases differently to a number of international organisations.
There was no mention of Italy in the announcement, despite its weekly rate increasing to 20.4 cases.
Last week, Denmark, Slovakia and Iceland were added to England and Wales’ quarantine lists.
22.5 million people – just over a third of the UK – are now living under enhanced local restrictions after more northern cities were added.
The latest will affect people in the Liverpool city region, Warrington, Hartlepool and Middlesbrough from 12:01am on Saturday.
It bans them from meeting people from other households indoors, including in pubs and restaurants.
As efforts continue to control imported cases, latest test and trace data for England showed a 61% increase in the numbers testing positive, as well as an increase in the overall proportion of positive tests to more than 5%.
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(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: Turkey, Poland and three Caribbean islands added to UK’s quarantine list
