Italy removed from government’s list of “travel corridors”

Friday, October 16, 2020

Italy has been removed from the government’s list of “travel corridors” from where arrivals don’t have to quarantine. Those who are entering in the United Kingdom from there, along with Vatican City and San Marino, will be forced to self-isolate for two weeks.

The rules come into effect at 4am on Sunday 18 October, a day later than has typically been the case in previous updates to the list.

 However, note that the implementation date is moved to 4am on SUNDAY 18 October and applies UK wide, if you arrive from these destinations you will need to self-isolate. The three destinations have also been removed from the Foreign Office’s (FCDO) list of “low risk” countries that are exempt from its blanket advice against all non-essential travel.

The FCDO has axed Martinique from its list too, but has added the Caribbean island of Anguilla, which is also on the travel corridors list.

The Greek island of Crete has been added to the “low risk” list and the list of travel corridors, meaning travellers arriving into the UK from there will no longer have to quarantine from 4am on 18 October.

The Italian Tourist Board has expressed “disappointment” at the Department for Transport’s decision.

Flavio Zappacosta, ENIT manager for the United Kingdom and Ireland, said that it is, of course, very disappointing  to learn of the announcement that Italy has been removed from the UK’s safe travel list today.

 Tourism is one of our most important industries and key to the nation’s recovery from the terrible impact of COVID-19. They would like to see testing at UK airports implemented as soon as possible as this could help alleviate the quarantine issue and establish consumer confidence once more in visiting such a popular destination as Italy.

The UK’s Covid-19 rate for the last seven days is 165.6 cases per 100,000 residents, two and a half times that of Italy’s modest 64.4. Italy has already started trialling rapid testing at the airport for all departing passengers in order to help boost customer confidence and reduce the risks of travelling.

Meanwhile, both Mr Shapps and Dido Harding, the head of NHS Test and Trace, stated this week that even if the UK introduces testing for arrivals, it won’t replace the need for travellers to quarantine.

Heathrow Airport has been calling for the government to introduce airport testing in order to reduce the need for quarantine for the past six months.

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