People traveling to England from France, the Netherlands, Monaco, Malta, the Turks and Caicos Islands and Aruba will have to self-isolate for two weeks starting 4 a.m. Saturday, the British government said.
In a statement late Thursday, the U.K. department for transport and the Foreign Office said the countries had been taken off the “travel corridors” list of quarantine exemptions because of a “significant increase in COVID-19 risk,” and asked “employers to be understanding.”
The move follows the U.K. government’s decision to remove exemptions from other countries including Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg as a result of rising coronavirus cases.
Clément Beaune, the French junior minister for European affairs, said France will reciprocate, but did not provide further details. “A British decision that we regret and which will lead to a measure of reciprocity, hoping that things will return to normal as soon as possible,” Beaune tweeted.
In a separate announcement Thursday, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson introduced tougher enforcement measures to curtail the spread of the coronavirus, as he continues to unwind lockdown regulations.
Under the new rules, fines for those who repeatedly fail to comply with face-covering rules have been doubled to a maximum of £3,200, with new penalties introduced for those who host raves or other unlawful gatherings of more than 30 people.
But bowling alleys, skating rinks, casinos and indoor play and soft play centers will be allowed to reopen from this weekend, and beauty salons, tattoo studios, spas and barbers across England will be permitted to resume offering all close contact services and treatments. The government will also permit weddings with up to 30 attendees and socially distanced indoor performances. Nightclubs, dance halls, discos, sexual entertainment venues and hostess bars must remain closed.
“At every stage I have said our plan to reopen society and the economy is conditional and that it relies on continued progress against the virus,” Johnson said in a statement. “Today, we are able to announce some further changes which will allow more people to return to work and the public to get back to more of the things they have missed. However, as I have always said, we will not hesitate to put on the brakes if required, or to continue to implement local measures to help to control the spread of the virus.”