The Czech Republic was included on a list of over 50 “safe” countries and territories. Travellers from these places will no longer be required to quarantine for two weeks before being allowed to move around the UK. The new rules apply from today. Photo credit: ZM / Brno Daily.
Czech Rep., Jul 10 (BD) – Authorities in England and Scotland have included the Czech Republic on a list of “safe” countries, meaning those travelling from the Czech Republic will no longer be required to go into quarantine. This applies both to tourists and to British residents returning home.
59 countries were included on the safe list for England, and 57 for Scotland. Both lists include many European countries, with the curious exception of Slovakia, which has maintained a notably low rate of coronavirus infection throughout the pandemic.
The quarantine requirement was causing a significant brake on tourism both in and out of the UK, as no PCR test was available as an alternative, unlike in many European countries. The safe list also contains a number of holiday destinations in the Caribbean and Mediterranean.
The United Kingdom has registered the highest death toll of any European country during the pandemic, with 44,602 fatalities as of July 8.