UK Have Added Essential Travel Only Canary Islands And Balearic Islands

[Rome77]

Excellent! If only it had a come a week earlier then we could have used our flights last Saturday instead of staying at home for half-term... Oh well, here's hoping it lasts until the new year!

[Mia]

Excellent! If only it had a come a week earlier then we could have used our flights last Saturday instead of staying at home for half-term... Oh well, here's hoping it lasts until the new year!

Such a shame you couldn't go, but fingers crossed it will last and you will be able to go soon. We have had so many flights cancelled is unreal, but finally hoping to go back end of this month.

[Rome77]

Unbelievable - but Canary Islands have been removed from the travel corridor: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55263038

So that puts our planned Xmas and New Year trip in jeopardy  

Is this only Brexit politics??

[Can the Man]

Could be Brexit related, as there have not been any real growth in the infection rate in Fuerteventura but I can’t comment on the other Canary Islands

[Ducks]

Could be Brexit related, as there have not been any real growth in the infection rate in Fuerteventura but I can’t comment on the other Canary Islands

The other islands do seem to be having a bit of an explosion, all right. This link shows the current state of things, but it's all in Spanish— was there a way to get it in English? I can't seem to find one, and Google Translate isn't allowed to translate it. Janet Anscombe also discusses it here:

Updated 9 December: Not only has Tenerife overtaken Gran Canaria, we are now the only island with over 10,000 cases.

• Total recorded cases 22,487 (10,051 TF, 9,635 GC)
  
  
• Fatalities 348
  
  
• Recoveries 17,411
  
  
• Active cases 4,728 (295 in hospital, 44 in ICU)
  

I can see why they're doing it, but it's a big pain for Fuerte, which has so few cases by comparison. That said, I did also read something today about people from the UK not being allowed into Europe in early 2021 because of Brexit stuff combining with COVID stuff. You can read about that here:

British holidaymakers will be barred from the European Union from 1 January under current Covid-19 safety restrictions, with the EU commission indicating there will be no exemption for the UK.

Only a handful of countries with low coronavirus rates are exempt from rules that prohibit non-essential visitors from outside the EU and European Economic Area (EEA) – with the UK included only until the end of the Brexit transition period.

Basically, it's all bad news, and I'm very sorry for anyone who will be affected by this. Travel is just going to continue to be a nightmare for the next 12 months, I suspect. Fortunately, these things are very, very prone to change at the moment, so I wouldn't take anything too much to heart right now.

[classic]

This site gives cases per Island, including active /historic etc. Click on the relevant Island on the map to get the info

COVID-19 Canarias

[Robbo]

One bit of slightly good news is that the 14 day quarantine period on return is being reduced to 10 from Monday (14th). There will also be a 'test to release scheme', which could relese you after 6 days - but would involve the cost of a private test.

[Rome77]

One bit of slightly good news is that the 14 day quarantine period on return is being reduced to 10 from Monday (14th). There will also be a 'test to release scheme', which could relese you after 6 days - but would involve the cost of a private test.

Do you have a source for this? I can see that Wales reduced their quarantine period to 10 days from yesterday, but I haven't seen any planned reduction beyond Wales?

[Robbo]

One bit of slightly good news is that the 14 day quarantine period on return is being reduced to 10 from Monday (14th). There will also be a 'test to release scheme', which could relese you after 6 days - but would involve the cost of a private test.

Do you have a source for this? I can see that Wales reduced their quarantine period to 10 days from yesterday, but I haven't seen any planned reduction beyond Wales?

I work for DHSC and was told this yesterday by colleagues in Test & Trace. Announcement imminent.

[Rome77]

One bit of slightly good news is that the 14 day quarantine period on return is being reduced to 10 from Monday (14th). There will also be a 'test to release scheme', which could relese you after 6 days - but would involve the cost of a private test.

Do you have a source for this? I can see that Wales reduced their quarantine period to 10 days from yesterday, but I haven't seen any planned reduction beyond Wales?

I work for DHSC and was told this yesterday by colleagues in Test & Trace. Announcement imminent.

The good news broke by Robbo has now been officially confirmed: 

A statement from the four UK chief medical officers (CMOs) said: "After reviewing the evidence, we are now confident that we can reduce the number of days that contacts self-isolate from 14 days to 10. People who return from countries which are not on the travel corridor list should also self-isolate for 10 days instead of 14 days."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55274147