UK Keeps Greece on ‘Safe List’ for Travel

Photo Source: @Heathrow Airport

As Europe braces for a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the UK Foreign Office (FCO) on Thursday updated its travel advice based on the re-assessment of effective coronavirus management.

Greece remains on the UK’s quarantine-free list of countries to and from which travelers can enter the country without having to self-isolate for 14 days.

Furthermore, Cuba will be added to the list of destinations people can return from without entering quarantine as of 4pm on Saturday (August 29).

On the other hand, travelers from Switzerland, Jamaica and the Czech Republic must quarantine on return to the UK starting at 4pm Saturday.

Facing a spike in cases this month, Greece, together with Switzerland, Iceland and the Czech Republic, were at risk of being included on the UK’s revised quarantine list. All four countries have seen the number of Covid-19 cases surge.

On Wednesday, Greece confirmed a record 293 new coronavirus cases in the previous 24-hour period: 22 detected at border points, 10 in arriving travelers and 103 in Attica.

Up until now, the UK adds or removes countries from its quarantine-free ‘safe’ list if their new infections exceed 20 per 100,000 population in a seven-day period.

Greek authorities, however, have repeatedly stated that despite the rising number of cases in August, Greece is still within the limits set by UK authorities.

Greek tourism professionals as well as British holidaymakers were eagerly awaiting the decision fearing last-minute restrictions. The UK is one of Greece’s top source markets for tourism and favorite destination for the Brits.

Meanwhile, the Guardian reported this week, that 30 teenagers from the UK who vacationed on the island of Zakynthos may have contracted coronavirus with at least 11 testing positive for Covid-19.

Earlier this month, UK authorities added France and Spain to the list due to a surge in coronavirus cases there.