Last Updated
The United Kingdom has just removed Italy from its official travel corridor list, now making a 14-day quarantine mandatory for any travelers coming from the country.
The Ministry of Transportation updates the UK’s travel corridor list weekly, and due to a second wave in cases all across the world, that list has been shrinking in size with each revision.
On October 15th the government removed the following countries and micro-states from the travel corridor list:
- Italy
- San Marino
- Vatican City
Second Wave in Italy: Worldometers
This removal comes into effect at 4:00am on Sunday, October 18th. Any traveler, regardless if a citizen returning home or a tourist entering the UK, will have to quarantine for 14 days if they have been in one of the 3 regions.
Leaving Travellers Scrambling
Each time the UK removes a country from the corridor list, travelers suddenly find themselves scrambling to get home before the quarantine measures come into place.
Flights to the UK from Italy have already surged in price, with some being 10x’s more than they would normally be, due to extremely high demand of desperate travellers making itinerary changes to get home before the cut-off.
Travel Update
— Dept for Transport (@transportgovuk) October 15, 2020
If you arrive in England from…
🇮🇹Italy
🇸🇲San Marino
🇻🇦Vatican City State
after 04:00 18 Oct 2020, you must self-isolate for 14 days.
⁰Arrivals from 🇬🇷Crete after 04:00 18 Oct will not need to self-isolate.https://t.co/BujmqqEX6s#TravelSafely
The Ever-Shrinking Corridor List
The UK’s official travel corridor list keeps shrinking each week, with many wondering what nations are still left.
Almost all EU nations have been removed over the past few months, leaving only Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Greece (excluding Mykonos), Latvia, Lithuania, and Sweden remaining with quarantine-free entry.
The complete travel corridor list now includes:
- Akrotiri and Dhekelia
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- the Azores
- Barbados
- Bermuda
- British Antarctic Territory
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- British Virgin Islands
- Brunei
- Cayman Islands
- Channel Islands
- Cuba
- Cyprus
- Dominica
- Estonia
- Falkland Islands
- Faroe Islands
- Fiji
- Finland
- Gibraltar
- Germany
- Greece (except the island of Mykonos)
- Greenland
- Grenada
- Hong Kong
- Ireland
- the Isle of Man
- Japan
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Macao (Macau)
- Madeira
- Malaysia
- Mauritius
- Montserrat
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- South Korea
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- St Barthélemy
- St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Pierre and Miquelon
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Sweden
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Vietnam
With the travel corridor list continuing to shrink in size, many are wondering just how far additional travel restrictions will go. Things seem to be getting stricter not only at the border, but within the interior as well.
Yesterday, Boris Jonhson announced that on Monday a new three-level warning system will go into place starting Wednesday, October 14th to limit the spread of COVID-19, which includes curfews on restaurants, restrictions on gatherings and heightened controls on freedom of movement.
All of these increased restrictions directly contrast with other news reports circulating out of the UK this week, speculating a potential ‘air bridge’ between New York and London, giving eager travelers a glimmer of hope in reuniting with relatives by Thanksgiving.
With the UK imposing quarantines on fellow EU countries, some wonder how on Earth they could possibly open an air-bridge with the USA.
Some are still pushing for the government to reconsider their blanket 14-day quarantine for countries not on the corridor list, and instead lower the quarantine to 4 or 5 days while implementing a double-testing protocol.
A 5-day quarantine plus test, instead of 14 days, is still very much a possibility for November. A taskforce of travel and health experts will hopefully recommend it can be done and quickly implemented. That would boost confidence to book and travel from late November onwards. https://t.co/gSdVO4eWgE
— Paul Charles (@PPaulCharles) October 7, 2020
Citizens of the UK are divided. Some believe that with the UK's very low death rate, despite rising cases, that lockdowns and blanket quarantines are oppressive. While others are supportive in the governments heavy-handed regulations to stomp out a second wave.
Daily UK deaths due to Covid-19: Worldometers
Read More: See which countries have opened with NO testing/quarantines, which companies offer travel insurance that covers covid, which countries in Europe are allowing tourists
Sources: Government of UK
↓ Join the community ↓
The Travel Off Path Community FB group has all the latest reopening news, conversations, and Q&A's happening daily!
Subscribe to our Latest Posts
Disclaimer: Current travel rules and restrictions can change without notice. The decision to travel is ultimately your responsibility. Contact your consulate and/or local authorities to confirm your nationality’s entry and/or any changes to travel requirements before traveling. Travel Off Path does not endorse traveling against government advisories
Ra
Thursday 15th of October 2020
Do you know of any destinations that do not require masks?
Kashlee Kucheran
Friday 16th of October 2020
Sweden does not have any mandatory mask regulations