Covid-19: Estonia and Latvia taken off travel corridor list

People coming to the UK from Estonia and Latvia will need to quarantine from 04:00 GMT on Saturday.

The two Baltic states have been taken off of the UK government's travel corridor list.

At the same time, Aruba, Bhutan, East Timor, Mongolia and some Pacific islands have been added, meaning travellers from those places will not need to self-isolate.

However, current rules ban travel abroad unless for specific reasons.

The UK government has also changed its rules on Denmark, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said.

While travellers from Denmark to the UK will still need to self-isolate, the government is lifting the "total travel ban" on Saturday.

The Foreign Office currently advises against all but essential travel to Denmark amid concerns over a new coronavirus strain that has spread from mink.

• Who has to quarantine when arriving in the UK?

• Can I take a winter holiday?

Anyone arriving into the UK from most destinations must quarantine for 14 days.

But there are a list of countries exempt from the rules, meaning returning travellers do not need to self-isolate, called the travel corridor list.

From 15 December, people who need to quarantine will only need to do so for five days - if they pay for a private Covid test and are virus free.

Making the announcement on Thursday, Mr Shapps said latest data means Estonia and Latvia must be taken off the list.

There has been a sharp rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in Latvia in recent weeks, according to the Foreign Office. The Latvian government has announced a state of emergency lasting until 6 December.

Estonia's government has also introduced extra restrictions from 24 November.

Mr Shapps said Bhutan, East Timor, Mongolia, Aruba and six Pacific islands (Samoa, Kiribati, Micronesia, Tonga, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands) had been added to the list, effective from 04:00 on Saturday.

• LOCKDOWN LOOK-UP: The rules in your area

• THREE TIERS: What are the new tiers?

• LOOK-UP TOOL: How many cases in your area?

• THE R NUMBER: What it means and why it matters

In England until 2 December, foreign travel is currently only permitted for work, education or if someone has another valid reason.

People can only travel in and out of Wales with a reasonable excuse, such as going to work or school.

In Northern Ireland, people are advised to only travel for necessary reasons and to "carefully consider" their holiday and travel options, in light of the pandemic.

In Scotland, people living in higher risk areas should avoid unnecessary travel to other places.