British authorities announced on Friday that those traveling from the United States would still have to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine and would not be among those newly exempt from the rules.
British Transport Minister Grant Shapps announced that people entering the UK from more than 50 countries would no longer have to be quarantined as of July 10.
Countries on the exemption list include Italy, France, Germany, and Spain, which battled spikes in coronavirus cases earlier in the pandemic, but have seen a drop in cases more recently.
Meanwhile, U.S. travelers, who have seen a spike in new COVID-19 cases, will still face quarantine restrictions, as does Greece, which currently does not allow flights from the UK.
“The United States, from a very early stage, banned flights from the UK and from Europe, so there is no reciprocal agreement in any case there,” Grant said during a BBC radio interview, according to The Guardian. “They have a very high number of infections, so they are not on the list today.”
The transport minister said that countries with low levels of coronavirus cases, such as New Zealand, would be on a “green” list to enter without restrictions, and those with reciprocal arrangements for travelers like Spain and Italy would be on an “amber” list. . The United States would be on a “red” list.
The UK quarantine rules first went into effect on June 8 as part of the country’s efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus. President Trump
Donald John Trump Secret Service Members Who Helped Organize COVID-19 Positive Pence Arizona Travel Test: Report Trump’s Pandemic Planning Office at State Department: Iran Report Releases Photo of Production Site of damaged nuclear fuel: MORE report earlier this year he also suspended travel from the UK and other countries as his administration sought to control the spread of the disease.
The United States topped 55,000 daily reported cases of coronavirus on Thursday, a new record as many states struggle with a surge in cases and several in record numbers after the south and southwest.
The country leads the world with 2.7 million confirmed cases of the virus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, while the United Kingdom is fifth in the world with more than 285,000 cases in total.
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