Coronavirus in Wales: Portugal, Greek islands put on quarantine list

People arriving in Wales from mainland Portugal and six Greek islands must self-isolate for 14 days from 04:00 BST Friday.

It is the first time the Welsh Government has set different quarantine rules from the UK government.

People returning from Gibraltar and French Polynesia will also be required to self-isolate.

Crete, Zakynthos, Mykonos, Lesvos, Paros and Antiparos are among the Greek islands affected.

Portugal will also be added to the Scottish quarantine list from Saturday, but advice for travellers in England, issued by the UK government, and in Northern Ireland remains unchanged.

Portugal was only removed from the quarantine rules less than two weeks ago. The Portuguese islands of the Azores and Madeira were not included in Thursday's announcement.

Wales' Health Minister Vaughan Gething said he was acting on public health advice, and had sought a meeting with the UK government but was not able to get one.

The decision follows a number of coronavirus cases in Wales linked to flights from Zakynthos, and a rise in cases in Portugal.

Travellers to Wales from the Greek island were asked to self-isolate earlier in the week, but Thursday's changes mean those who do not self-isolate now face potential fines of £1,000.

The quarantine rules apply to travellers arriving home in Wales regardless of what part of the UK they return through - including English airports.

Mr Gething said he took the decision because of a large number of coronavirus cases "imported into Wales from tourists returning from the Greek islands".

He said there were more than 20 cases confirmed in passengers on one flight from Zakynthos to Cardiff.

But UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said on Thursday there were no changes in England.

Mr Gething said he had hoped to discuss the situation with the UK government and counterparts in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but a meeting on Thursday was not possible.

"My responsibility is to make the right choices to keep Wales safe. My preference is to do that on a four-nation basis where possible," he said.

"If it isn't possible, I still have to make the right choice for Wales."

Although he said it was possible people could be fined, he added: "That is the very last step that I want us to take."

Damian Martin, from Swansea, arrived in Lagos, Portugal, on Wednesday after having already switched his holiday from Spain.

He said he would not be able to return early.

The supermarket employee said he believed he would be able to self-isolate: "My work said they would deal with it if it came to it."

"I thought I'd be fine going to the Algarve, that most cases would be in the north," he said.

"Work had been full on and I really really needed a break, so I decided to go. I'm supposed to be here eight nights. I might as well try to enjoy it."

Jon Lake and his wife Nicole were due to celebrate their 10-year wedding anniversary by returning to Lake Garda, Italy, where they tied the knot.

But the family, who are currently on holiday in Crete, will now have to mark the special day in their home in Cardiff, as they will be in self-isolating.

"It's all down the pan, we had wanted to do something special, now it will likely be pasta and a glass of wine back home," he said.

Jon, who works in pharmaceuticals, said he had tracked the cases every day before going on the two-week Greek break.

"I wanted to give my family a little bit of normality, and now it is ruined," he said. "We are now going back into a worse situation, it's a mess."

His oldest son, aged six, was due to start back at school, but will now have to quarantine.

Mr Lake said he was angry with the Welsh Government for changing the rules, which he said "made no logical sense".

"They've literally given people eight hours to get home, what is Vaughan Gething expecting us to do - get a private plane? It's a joke," he said.

For some the different rules among the nations have caused confusion and anger.

Martin, lives in Gladestry, Powys, and while his village is in Wales, he has an English postcode.

Having arrived home from Fuerteventura, in the Canary Islands, he said he was halfway through the two-week self-isolation period, but had not had any contact from the government.

"My friend who lives a few miles away in a Welsh postcode has had an email from the government about isolation," he said

"I live inside the border of Wales - we pay our council tax to a Welsh council, the schools are Welsh but the postcode is English.

"It's mixed messaging. Why can't the country stick together?"

Because it is a public health measure, the quarantine system in Wales is set by the Welsh Government.

Up until now, Wales has followed the UK government in deciding which countries travellers could return from and not need to self-isolate.

It has also followed any changes made, including the recent decision to order travellers from Switzerland to quarantine.

Travellers abroad are expected to fill in a form online with their contact details 48 hours before they arrive back in the UK.

Not providing accurate details could also result in fines of £1,920.

Wales, for the first time, has now announced significantly different quarantine rules to those across the border.

The Welsh health minister says this action came after "clear advice" from the UK's Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) that travel from these countries poses a public health risk.

But the UK government's Transport Secretary Grant Shapps also cited the JBC when announcing there was no need for additions or removals to the travel corridor list for England today.

These differences come with complications.

With only one major airport in Wales - Cardiff - many passengers flying into places like Bristol or Birmingham will land into one set of rules but face another when they get home.

Andrew RT Davies, Welsh Conservative health spokesman, said it would be "better if, when travel measures are announced, they are done on a joint basis" across the four nations.

"This would help keep everyone informed and safe," he said.

Plaid Cymru's health spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth said the experience "with Zakynthos tells us that the quicker a Welsh Government can act, the better".

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