Denmark visitor ban extended and travellers from Greece must now self-isolate

A ban on visitors from Denmark has been extended. Credit: PA

A ban on visitors from Denmark coming to the UK will be extended for 14 days, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced.

An immediate ban of entry to visitors travelling from Denmark came into effect on November 7 following concerns a new Covid-19 strain which has spread from mink to humans.

UK nationals and residents will be able to return but must isolate for 14 days along with all members of their household.

However, the government has permitted a "limited exemption" for football players to travel from the UK to Copenhagen and back, the Department of Transport said in a statement.

Visitors travelling from the UK from Denmark are not permitted entry for another 14 days. Credit: PA

The statement read: "The government has also announced a limited exemption for a small number of Danish and Icelandic national football players to travel from the UK to Copenhagen and back, without the need to self-isolate, to take part in upcoming international football fixtures.

"This temporary and extremely limited exemption will allow the relevant players and essential staff support to be exempt from the new requirements and will help reduce any disruption for England’s up and coming Nations League fixtures." 

Mr Shapps also announced that Greece will be removed from the UK's travel corridor list excluding Corfu, Crete, Rhodes, Zakynthos and Kos.

In a statement on Twitter, he said: "Latest data also means we have to remove all of Greece apart from Corfu, Crete, Rhodes, Zakynthos and Kos from the Travel Corridor list.

"If you arrive into the UK from this destination you will need to self-isolate."

The measures will come into force from 4am on November 14, meaning visitors and UK citizens and residents coming to the UK from Greece will be required to self isolate for 14 days.

A statement from the Department of Transport said: "Data from the Joint Biosecurity Centre and Public Health England has indicated a significant change in both the level and pace of confirmed cases of coronavirus in mainland Greece, leading to Ministers removing it from the current list of travel corridors."

Meanwhile, added to the travel corridor - meaning visitors are not required to self-isolate - are Bahrain, Chile, Iceland, Cambodia, Laos, UAE, Qatar and Turks and Caicos Islands.