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Christmas holidays cancelled as Spain and Portugal join long list of countries banning Brits
Jet2holidays and TUI have cancelled Christmas departures to the Canary Islands, Portugal and Madeira as the countries join the growing list of destinations to ban British tourists after the discovery of a new more virulent strain of coronavirus spreading across the UK.
Jet2holidays has cancelled its Madeira programme up to 31 December but it hasn’t cancelled departures to the Canary Islands beyond today as it says it is waiting for official confirmation of flight restrictions from the Spanish government.
TUI has cancelled departures to the Canaries today and tomorrow and packages to Madeira on Christmas Eve.
Unlike many other destinations, Spain has not introduced a complete ban on flights from the UK, as it will continue to accept Spanish citizens and residents.
Elsewhere, the Czech Republic and India have stopped all flights from the UK until 31 December, Poland has suspended flights from the UK until at least 6 January while Russia is suspending all flights to and from Britain for a week. Singapore has joined almost 50 countries in banning all arrivals from the UK or imposing new travel restrictions.
Israel has ordered the country to ‘close the skies’; Norway has also stopped flights from the UK for two days.
Holland, which was the first country to implement a UK flight ban, has extended the ban to ferries.
Greece has extended the self-isolation time for those arriving from the UK from three days to seven days, while the Czech Republic says arrivals who have spent at least 24 hours in UK territory will need to isolate.
Oman has closed its land, sea and air borders, while Chile and Jordan have also implemented flight bans.
Meanwhile, Cyprus has announced that, as of today (21 December), all passengers arriving from the UK will be required to take another PCR test on arrival and remain in authority-assigned quarantine facilities for a minimum of seven days.
After seven days, with another negative PCR test result, passengers can move to private accommodation and continue their self-isolation for a further three days. Transportation and hotel costs will be paid for by the Republic of Cyprus.
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Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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