Turkey and Poland added to England's quarantine list

Turkey and Poland are being removed from England’s travel corridor list, as people who breach Covid-19 quarantine restrictions face tougher fines of up to £10,000.

The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, announced on Thursday that those arriving in England from the two countries from 4am on Saturday would have to isolate for a fortnight. The Caribbean islands of Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba were also being removed from the list.

Travellers arriving in England from countries subject to quarantine restrictions can be fined £1,000 for breaking isolation rules, or up to £3,200 if they do not provide accurate details of where they are staying. However, under stricter legal obligations which come into force on Friday, those who repeatedly breach quarantine restrictions after international travel could be fined up to £10,000.

Turkey’s removal is another blow for holidaymakers as it was one of the few popular holiday destinations remaining on a dwindling list of locations from which people can arrive in England without having to quarantine. Spain and France were removed from that list in recent weeks.