These are the latest countries removed from the Government's safe travel list

Travellers from Switzerland, Jamaica and the Czech Republic must quarantine for a fortnight if they arrive in the UK after 4am on Saturday, August 29 following spikes in coronavirus infection rates.
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The move, announced by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on Thursday, August 27, means people coming from these countries will legally have to isolate for 14 days or they will be committing a criminal offence.

Scotland, which removed Switzerland from its safe travel list last week, is also applying quarantine measures to travellers from the Czech Republic and Jamaica arriving after 4am on Saturday.

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In addition, passengers returning to any UK country from Cuba after the same time will not have to isolate upon their return.

Mr Shapps tweeted on Thursday: “Quarantining on return from a non-Travel Corridor country is a legal requirement and you commit a criminal offence if you break that quarantine.

“Fines, as well as a criminal record can result.

"The decision on whether to add or remove a country is carefully made after research from the Joint Biosecurity Centre.

"A lead indicator is 20 cases per 100k over seven days but they take into account a wide range of factors, including level, rate and speed of change in confirmed cases.”

Switzerland, Jamaica and the Czech Republic have been removed from the 'safe travel' list.Switzerland, Jamaica and the Czech Republic have been removed from the 'safe travel' list.
Switzerland, Jamaica and the Czech Republic have been removed from the 'safe travel' list.
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Data shows the latest seven-day rates in the countries stand at 22.0 cases per 100,000 people in Switzerland; 20.2 per 100,000 in the Czech Republic 20.8 per 100,000 in Jamaica.

Last Thursday (August 20) Jamaica’s rate was 4.3, meaning the 20.8 recorded on August 27 is equivalent to a 382% increase, said the Department for Transport.

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Transport Secretary Grant Shapps visits Blyth at the start of 2020.Transport Secretary Grant Shapps visits Blyth at the start of 2020.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps visits Blyth at the start of 2020.

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