Coronavirus: England adds Saudi Arabia to safe travel corridor list

Travelers arriving in the United Kingdom from Saudi Arabia will no longer need to quarantine for 14 days as was previously required due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Transport minister Grant Shapps said that Saudi Arabia and Botswana were added to England's safe travel corridor list while Spain's Canary Islands, a popular destination for British tourists, has been removed.

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Travelers arriving from the archipelago will now have to self-isolate, transport minister Grant Shapps said on Thursday.

Shapps said data from the islands showed cases and positive tests were increasing, and so from Saturday morning, people arriving in England would have to enter quarantine.

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“BOTSWANA and SAUDI ARABIA have been ADDED to the #TravelCorridor list. If you arrive from these places after 4am Sat 12 Dec you do NOT need to self-isolate,” Shapps tweeted.

Last month, the United Kingdom said travelers arriving in the United Kingdom from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and six other countries will no longer need to quarantine for 14 days as was previously required due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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(With Reuters)