Infection rate, cases and lockdown rules explained
THE UK is adding more countries to its quarantine list as a number of destinations report a jump in daily new cases.
Croatia, Austria and Trinidad and Tobago are the latest countries to be added, following in the footsteps of Spain last month, and France on August 15.
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There were also initial fears that Greece and Turkey could follow suit, although travel experts claim their numbers are still low enough and both countries have not been added to the quarantine list.
One of the main benchmark’s for the government is the information on daily Using information from the European Centre of Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), any country with more than 20 new cases per 100,000 daily, over a seven day period, is at risk of being removed from the UK’s safe list.
Here’s everything you need to know about Croatia, Greece and Turkey as Croatia is put on the quarantine list.
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Croatia
How many coronavirus cases have there been in Croatia?
Croatia saw 306 new cases on August 22 – the highest since the pandemic began.
Overall, the country’s numbers now stand at 7,900 cases and 170 deaths.
What is the infection rate in Croatia?
The infection rate in Croatia is currently at 30.0 per 100,000 over the past week, and has now become the latest holiday destination placed on the quarantine list.
That number is far higher than Turkey or Greece despite their daily new infection rates being lower, due to the difference in population size.
Has Croatia been in lockdown?
Croatia’s first case came at the end of February and swift steps were taken to shut down borders soon after.
After getting the situation under control, there had been attempts since the beginning of summer to get travellers back in, with the economy benefitting hugely from tourism.
What are the quarantine rules in Croatia?
Croatia had been sharing an air bridge agreement with the UK, meaning people from both countries didn’t not have to quarantine on arrival or upon return.
But with its infection rate so high, it was put on the quarantine list on August 20, following France and Spain.
Greece
How many coronavirus cases have there been in Greece?
Until recently, Greece had a relatively low level of cases and had been praised for its handling of the pandemic.
The country has so far had 8,381 cases and 240 deaths.
But there are fears numbers could rise after troubling new infection data emerged, along with there being more than 1,000 new cases over the past week.
Cases on August 22 rose by 243, one of the highest jumps since April.
As of August 20, the UK government has advised against all but essential travel.
What is the infection rate in Greece?
EU figures showed the country’s Covid-19 infection rate has risen in the last two weeks.
The number of new infections, according to the ECDC is 14.1 per 100,000 people in the last seven days.
This compares to only 6.1 infections per 100,000 a fortnight ago.
Has Greece been in lockdown?
Greece headed into a quick and strict lockdown back in March, as they watched infections rise rapidly in Italy.
By March 10, schools and universities were closed, and on March 13, cafes and restaurants followed.
Restrictions on movement were imposed on March 22.
The swift response meant Greece could begin to reopen its tourism industry by June.
But now with infections rising, bars and restaurants are being forced to curb their hours with Mykonos reportedly facing a local lockdown.
What are the quarantine rules in Greece?
At the moment, neither Brits heading to Greece or Greeks going to these shores need to quarantine.
Anyone entering the country has to fill in a Passenger Locator Form 24 hours before travelling, and show the QR code on arrival.
But this could change as infection rates rise and the government continues to impose quick restrictions on countries which show a bump in cases.
Italy has introduced mandatory testing for anyone who arrives from Greece (along with Croatia, Spain and Malta) with their infection rate appearing to worry other countries in Europe.
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Turkey
How many coronavirus cases have there been in Turkey?
On Saturday, August 22, 22 people died from the virus.
Overall, that makes it 257,032 cases and 6,102 deaths.
What is the infection rate in Turkey?
The infection rate currently sits at 10.6 per 100,000, which is only slightly ahead of the UK’s 11 per 100,000, according to new data.
While still under 20, this number has risen in recent days.
Has Turkey been in lockdown?
Turkey entered into a swift lockdown as Covid-19 began to make its presence known in Europe.
But by June cafes and restaurants had reopened, intercity flights had resumed and stay at home orders were dropped.
There are reports that Turkey could re-enter a lockdown by next month as the government attempts to stem the rise in cases.
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What are the quarantine rules in Turkey?
Similar to Greece, the UK has established an air bridge with Turkey which means holidaymakers from both countries do not have to quarantine upon arrival or on return.
But ministers will likely be watching the country closely to see if the infection rate rises any further.
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