UK quarantine list: Which European countries have the worst infection rates?
Switzerland looks set to be added to the list of countries on the UK’s quarantine list after a surge in the number of coronavirus cases in the country.
Scotland has already reimposed self-isolation measures on travellers from the country, with ministers in England due to review its list today.
If it is added to the list, it will join France, the Netherlands, Malta, Spain, Belgium, Serbia and Luxembourg, all of which have already seen restrictions reimposed after a spike in cases.
Travellers arriving in the UK from countries on the quarantine list must self-isolate for 14 days. That has put many people off travelling altogether.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps has said countries risk being added to the list when their rate of infection exceeds 20 cases per 100,000 people over seven days.
The government is reportedly using data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The body measures countries’ infection rates based on the 14-day number of Covid-19 cases per 100 000 people.
The UK currently has 18.5 cases per 100,000 people. At the moment, Switzerland stands at 21.2 cases per 100,000, just inside the red zone.
Cases are also creeping up in the Czech Republic, leading to fears that it could soon follow Switzerland onto the list.
It is currently recording a seven-day rate of 19.4 cases per 100,000, up from 16 a week ago, the Telegraph reported.
The majority of the 60 countries on the quarantine-free travel corridors list are in Europe.
But other countries such as Aruba and Turks & Caicos have also seen restrictions reimposed.
Paul Charles, travel consultant and chief executive of PR firm the PC Agency, told the Independent: “Anything above 20 per 100,000 for a period of seven days or more is likely to lead to that country being added to the quarantine list.”
He added: “It’s one statistic in particular that is being watched the most closely by Public Health England and the Joint Biosecurity Centre; that is the cumulative number, over 7 days, of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 of the population.”
Which countries risk being added to the UK quarantine list?
Based on that data, the European countries most likely to appear on the UK quarantine list next are Romania, which has an infection rate of 87.8, and Bulgaria, which has a rate of 37.8.
There are a host of other countries whose 14-day infection rates are currently above 20. If they fail to reduce their rates they may soon be added to the list.
They include Iceland, Czech Republic, Poland, Croatia, Denmark and Portugal. Government guidance for people returning from Portugal remains to self-isolate for 14 days back in the UK.