Are you planning to go to the United Kingdom this summer? So far, it is possible. As a matter of fact, this past July 10, the British government lifted the mandatory two-week self-isolation when entering the country to travelers coming from Germany, France, Spain, and Italy.
Yet, as the self-isolation period shall be reviewed every three weeks, the United-Kingdom has re-implemented isolation to travelers from Spain on July 25 in light of the current health situation and the resurgence of the epidemic in the country. A decision far from delighting British tourists.
And today, the United Kingdom does it again by imposing two-week self-isolation to travelers from France starting from Saturday August 15, the Secretary of State for transport Grant Shapps says. Travelers from Monaco, Malta, Turks and Caicos and Aruba are also concerned by this quarantine measure.
And this is no surprise as Care minister Helen Whately said on Monday July 27 that the health situation in France and in Germany too were followed very closely by the British government who is ready to make the two-week quarantine mandatory again for travelers coming from Germany and France if the situation was to worsen in both countries. And it has happened in France.
For the record, earlier in June, Brandon Lewis said on Sky News: “People who are coming to the UK will have to do quarantine” in order to limit the propagation of the virus. “Obviously for the UK citizens coming back they'll be able to quarantine at home, for visitors they will need to make arrangements for here they can do that quarantine for 14 days” he went on.
"We must continue to monitor the situation and I think that is what the population expects of us," Helen Whately said. "If we see rates climbing in a country for which no quarantine is currently required...we will have to take action, because we cannot take the risk of the coronavirus being spread again across the UK".
As soon as this new self-isolation measure has been announced, Secretary of State for European Affairs Clément Beaune has posted a tweet pointing out "a British measure we regret and that will lead to a measure of reciprocity, hoping things will get back to normal as quick as possible".
