Update on Travel Corridors for Greek Islands
Seven popular Greek islands, including Mykonos and Santorini, have been removed from England’s travel corridors as the country updated its mandatory quarantine rules. This alteration impacts all travelers arriving in England, including returning citizens and residents.
The islands affected include Crete, Lesvos, Mykonos, Santorini, Serifos, Tinos, and Zakynthos. Consequently, passengers will be required to quarantine upon arrival from these destinations due to a significant rise in daily coronavirus cases reported in recent weeks. This new rule comes into effect on Wednesday, September 9, at 4 am. UK transport minister Grant Shapps announced the updates on Monday, explaining the new approach where islands can be treated separately from their mainland nations when infection rates vary.
“New scientific capability and capacity now means we can adopt a more targeted approach to travel corridors. This strategy allows England the flexibility to add or remove islands based on concrete evidence while ensuring maximum protection to UK public health,” Shapps stated.
European nations that remain on England’s travel corridor list include Ireland, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Finland, Cyprus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Portugal. Furthermore, distant destinations such as Barbados, Mauritius, Malaysia, and Vietnam are also included. You can find the continually updated full list of travel corridor countries here.
In separate news, Scotland has announced the removal of Greece from its travel corridor. On a similar note, Wales is discontinuing travel from six islands—Mykonos, Zakynthos, Lesvos, Paros, Antiparos, and Crete—while still permitting travel from the rest of Greece. Interestingly, Scotland and Wales have both also removed Portugal from their lists (though Wales makes exceptions for the Azores and Madeira). Meanwhile, England and Northern Ireland continue to welcome travelers from Portugal without imposing quarantine restrictions.
“As with all air bridge countries, it is essential to understand that circumstances can change rapidly. Therefore, only travel if you are comfortable with the possibility of a 14-day quarantine requirement if necessary,” Shapps advised.
This information was first published on June 8 and updated on September 8, 2020.
