A British mother holidaying in Croatia said today she would not cut short her trip despite the new 14-day quarantine forcing her son to miss his first week of school.
Jennie Dock’s 11-year-old son Cass Robertson-Dock will be in self-isolation when his new school starts back, after Croatia was removed from the UK’s list of air bridges.
But Ms Dock, who is on holiday with friend Elle Mitchell, told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: ‘We’re both lucky in that we can both work from home, both work remotely.
‘Cass was year six last year, so he did manage to get in for around six weeks or so at the end, which he really enjoyed. So, yeah, it’s unfortunate he’s going to miss the first week, but he’s a bright boy and he’ll catch up, I’m not worried about it.’
Cass said of starting secondary school: ‘I’ve been looking forward to it.’
The estimated 20,000 Britons currently in the Balkan country have until 4am tomorrow to return before the changes come into effect.
The cheapest direct flight from Zagreb to Heathrow today was £286 on British Airways, while a Croatia Airlines flight between the two airports was £496.
The cheapest flight with a change that would get back before 4am tomorrow is £230 with Eurowings, via Stuttgart. There are also KLM flights via Amsterdam, but this would involve quarantining – with the Netherlands already off the air bridges list.
Jennie Dock (right), who is on holiday in Croatia with her friend Elle Mitchell (left) and 11-year-old son Cass Robertson-Dock (centre) will be in self-isolation when they return to Britain
People wait for planes at Split Airport in Croatia yesterday as they try to get home quickly
Travel expert Simon Calder told Good Morning Britain that prices for flights from Croatia to Britain are now ‘going through the roof’ as people scramble to get home.
British Airways has laid on an extra flight from Zagreb to London Heathrow with seats costing £275.
This is more than six times higher than the BA equivalent flight on the Friday four weeks from now, which currently costs only £42. An equivalent flight on the Friday two weeks from now is only £45.
Mr Calder urged people looking at flights with changes to avoid going via Paris or Amsterdam because they would also then have to quarantine.
But holidaymakers who go to Portugal will no longer have to self-isolate when they return to Britain after it was removed from the Government’s quarantine list.
Croatia, Austria and Trinidad and Tobago were added to the ‘red’ list due to rising numbers of Covid cases.
Croatia’s total over seven days – a metric closely watched by Downing Street – has risen to 27.4 per 100,000 people.
Britons who arrive back in the UK after the 4am deadline will have to spend 14 days under stricter measures than many faced in lockdown, as they are not even allowed to go outside for exercise or food shopping.
Croatia’s ambassador to the UK has said it is ‘a regret’ that the UK Government did not implement regional quarantine rules rather than removing the entire country from its quarantine exemption list.
Igor Pokaz told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘What we are trying to do in our constant dialogue with the British Government on this particular measure of quarantine is to somehow see whether it would be possible, something that other countries do, to have a more nuanced approach.
‘So we regret that it was not possible for the UK Government to consider a regional approach, because in Croatia we have, as I said, witnessed these spikes in certain areas – for example in Zagreb in the capital and maybe among the young population.
‘But in Dubrovnik, its surroundings and the islands there were very, very few cases. And I deliberately mention Dubrovnik and the islands as that is where most of the British tourists go.
‘And Dubrovnik has its own international airport and is naturally secluded from the rest of the country.
‘Germany, as I said, has introduced this model, and has introduced measures for only two of the Croatian counties and we have 20 counties in Croatia.’
Portugal has been given a clean bill of health, however, following months on the quarantine list.
Air passengers are seen at Split Airport yesterday as the UK removed Croatia from the list of ‘safe countries’ to travel due to rising number of cases throughout the country
Holidaymakers queue up at Split Airport in Croatia today to check in for their flights home
Its number of cases over seven days is now 14.6 per 100,000 people. It remains above Greece, on 14.3, and the UK on 11.2.
The Government’s quarantine threshold is said to be 20.
Yesterday’s changes mean thousands of families could now enjoy a last-minute summer holiday in the Algarve, Lisbon or Porto before pupils return to school next month.
There are 719 flights between the UK and Portugal with a total seat capacity of nearly 128,000, according to aviation data analysts Cirium.
Despite the easing of some restrictions, industry leaders warned of dark times ahead. Christopher Snelling of the Airport Operators’ Association said: ‘The removal of the quarantine for Portugal is welcome, but the re-introduction of blanket quarantine measures to a further tranche of nations reinforces the significant and continuing challenge facing the aviation industry.
‘Our airports are facing pressures that were unimaginable six months ago and the Government must work urgently with the industry to introduce regional travel corridors to low-risk areas and agree financial measures that support our airports, who have already lost over £2billion since the start of the pandemic.’
The addition of more holiday hotspots to the red list will also pile pressure on ministers to back virus testing at airports to cut down on the need to self-isolate.
Heathrow this week unveiled a multimillion-pound Covid-19 detection area which is capable of testing thousands of arrivals.
However, the facility cannot be used until ministers endorse airport testing as a viable alternative to a blanket 14-day quarantine. Heathrow chief John Holland-Kaye warned the travel sector – and wider economy – would enter ‘terminal decline’ unless the Government changes its approach.
Yesterday’s update means the Foreign Office now advises against all but essential travel to Croatia, Trinidad and Tobago and Austria.
The changes followed a meeting with the UK’s devolved administrations which saw Scotland adding Switzerland to its own quarantine list.
The country is currently on 18.1 cases per 100,000 people, meaning travellers from England and Wales may soon be ordered to self-isolate if the figure keeps rising.
France, Germany and Italy all saw their biggest daily increase in cases since spring this week, adding to fears of a second wave.
The Government has pledged to take ‘decisive action’ to contain coronavirus, including the rapid removal of countries from its list of so-called ‘air bridges’.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps wrote on Twitter yesterday: ‘Please be aware that things can change quickly.
‘Only travel if you are content to unexpectedly 14-day quarantine if required… I speak from experience!’
Spain was added to the red list a day after Mr Shapps flew there for a family holiday last month – prompting him to fly home early to beat the quarantine cut-off.