Rishi Sunak has announced that the UK "will not hesitate" to add countries to the quarantine list in the hope of preventing the spread of Covid-19.
In an interview with Sky News the chancellor said that there has always been “the risk of disruption" to holidays since the beginning of pandemic. His statement follows news that those entering the country from Belgium, the Bahamas and Andorra will have to self-isolate for 14 days upon their return. Spikes in France have also led to speculation that the country may be next on the quarantine list.
At present, Belgium has one of the highest rates of Covid-19 in Europe, at some 49.2 per 100,000 people, compared with 14.3 per 100,000 in the UK. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control have said that France has recorded some 23.4 cases per 100,000 over the last fortnight. Figures on Wednesday indicate that there have been 1,695 new cases in the past 24 hours.
When asked whether France was next on the list of countries to feature on the quarantine list, Sunak said it was "a tricky situation" and that holidaymakers ought to consider this when booking their next trip abroad. He continued that No 10 was working to do "the right thing" and that the situation was kept "under review on a constant basis".
Sunak concluded that the government would "not hesitate” to introduce further quarantine measures, and that they would continue to protect people's health".
The new measures come into place in the UK from 04:00 BST on Saturday.