Is Greece on the UK quarantine list?
THE UK government has enforced quarantine restrictions for Greece, with different rules for different parts of the country.
Here is everything you need to know about travelling to Greece, including whether it is on the quarantine list soon and what to do if it is.
Will Greece be put on the quarantine list?
Greece was placed onto the quarantine list last week by the Scottish government, with all arrivals including the mainland and the islands forced to self-isolate for two weeks.
The same rules are in place for the islands of Mykonos, Crete, Santorini, Zante, Lesvos, Tinos and Serifos for Wales and Englad.
They are already in place for Wales, with English arrivals having until 4am on Wednesday to return to avoid the quarantine rules.a
Boris Johnson previously faced pressure to follow Wales and to make it mandatory to self-isolate if returning to England from Greece.
However, countries with more than 20 new cases per 100,000 population during a seven day period are the most at risk of being put onto the quarantine list.
Greece’s new infections per 100,000 is currently at 13.1, according to Quash Quarantine spokesperson Paul Charles, compared to the UK’s 17.1.
This puts it under the 20 mark, suggesting the rest of the country should remain safe – although travel restrictions can change at the last minute.
While cases in Greece remain low compared to other European destinations, cases have been steadily climbing, with 11,524 overall infections and 284 deaths.
The country reported the highest new daily cases since the crisis began on August 26, with 283 new infections.
What happens if the country is quarantined while I am on holiday?
If the country does go into quarantine, Brits will be given notice to be able to return to the UK, although this may be around 48 hours as seen by France and Spain.
Anyone returning to England from the affected islands have until 4am on Wednesday to return to avoid the new restrictions.
If families come back after the date given by the UK government, then they will have to quarantine for two weeks on their return.
Greece may also then enforce similar restrictions for Brits on arrival, like France is likely to do – Spain has not, however, so whether they reciprocate has not been confirmed.
The country currently has its own entry requirements for British tourists.
All arrivals must have filled in a Passenger Locator Form 24 hours before travelling, which will then send a QR code.
The QR code must be shown on arrival.
Greece is also undertaking random coronavirus tests at the airport, and anyone who tests positive will be forced to quarantine for two weeks in the country.
What happens if I have a holiday booked when the travel ban is in place?
If Greece is put onto the quarantine list, then tour operators and airlines are likely to stop flights and holidays.
This will mean they will offer a refund or credit note, while some airlines are allowing passengers to move their flights free of charge.
EasyJet are currently waiving the flight change fee for changes made up to 14 days before departure, and Ryanair have waived their flight change fees or all new bookings made in July, August and September, although you will need to pay the difference in flight costs.
Tour operators such as Jet2 and TUI are also likely to postpone package holidays.
TUI has already stopped all holidays to Laganas, a holiday resort in Zante.
TUI has already cancelled holidays to Zante resort Laganas after two flights from the island were forced into isolation in Cardiff.
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On August 25, TUI flight 6215 from Zante to Cardiff confirmed 16 cases on board, leading to all 193 passengers being forced to quarantine for two weeks.
A second TUI flight which landed in Cardiff was also told to self-isolate for two weeks due to concerns from the Welsh government.
According to the BBC, a passenger who flew from Zante to Glasgow on August 23 also tested positive, with 14 people on the flight contacted and asked to self-isolate.