Thailand and Singapore added to UK's quarantine-free 'green list' for travel

Thailand and Singapore have been added to the UK’s quarantine-free “green list” - as Slovenia and Guadeloupe were struck off.

Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, announced yesterday that travellers arriving in England from either south-east Asian country after 4am on Saturday will no longer need to self-isolate for 14 days.

It follows a fall in Covid-19 cases in the two countries although Thailand’s borders remain closed and Singapore insists on quarantine for those arriving.

Slovenia has been ditched from the “green list” after seeing its Covid-19 rates rise from 14.4 cases per 100,000 to 31.1 over the past seven days, pushing it well above the Government’s trigger for imposing quarantine of 20 cases per 100,000.

The rate for Guadeloupe has risen more than six-fold in the past four weeks, said the Department for Transport (DfT).

Speculation that Denmark - which has a higher rate than Slovenia at 31.3 cases per 100,000 - would be removed from the “green list” proved wide of the mark. It was saved by its low positive test rate, which is below three per cent, the trigger point recommended for quarantine by the European Commission.

Ireland, which has seen a surge in the cases puting it above the trigger threshold, escaped due to the common travel area with the UK, which means it is only likely quarantine would be imposed in an emergency.

The DfT statement gave no update on the possible introduction of testing at airports as a way of reducing quarantine requirements.

The travel industry has demanded this should take place urgently to avoid further job losses, backing the Telegraph’s Test4Travel campaign.

Last week in an article for The Telegraph, British Airways boss Alex Cruz called for trials to be held for passengers flying between London and New York. He said "this is imperative", adding that the airline is "still fighting for our own survival".