Thailand and Singapore added to England’s quarantine-free travel list

17 September 2020, 17:05 | Updated: 17 September 2020, 17:28

Thailand and Singapore have been added to England’s quarantine-free travel list - but Slovenia and Guadeloupe have been removed.

The changes come into effect at 4am on Saturday.

Data from Slovenia shows that the weekly number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 people has increased from 14.4 on September 9, to 29.1 on September 16 - a 102 per cent increase.

Guadeloupe saw a 558 per cent increase in weekly cases per 100,000 between August 25 and September 15.

Thailand and Singapore have seen a fall in confirmed cases of coronavirus, meaning passengers arriving from Saturday will no longer need to self-isolate as long as they haven’t been in or through any other non-exempt countries in the 14 days preceding their arrival.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps tweeted: "Announcing the latest changes to the travel corridors list, he tweeted: "Latest data shows we need to remove Slovenia and Guadeloupe from the Travel Corridor list to keep everyone safe.

"This means if you arrive in the UK from these destinations after 4am Saturday, you will need to self-isolate for 14 days.

"Separately, we will be adding Singapore and Thailand to the Travel Corridor list. Please check before you travel as both countries may have extra requirements before entering.

"A reminder that travellers to the UK (from ANY location) MUST complete a Passenger Locator Form by law. This is vital in protecting public health & ensuring those who need to are complying with self-isolation rules."

The same measures are being implemented in Scotland.

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said: "Managing the risk of importing cases from communities with high risks of transmission is vital in our efforts to suppress the spread of the virus in Scotland and imposing quarantine restrictions on those arriving in the UK is our first defence.

"We continue to closely monitor the situation in all parts of the world and base the decisions we make on the scientific evidence available. We are also in regular discussions with the other three governments in the UK. More details about what the quarantine requirements mean can be found on the Scottish Government website.

"Wherever somebody has travelled from - whether an exempt country or not - it remains a legal requirement to complete a Passenger Locator Form and provide it to Border Force officials. Failure to do so can also result in a fine since this, along with any failure to self-isolate where required, poses a significant risk to wider public health across Scotland.

"We are in the midst of a global pandemic and the situation in many countries can change suddenly. Therefore, people should think very hard before committing to non-essential travel abroad."