Germany and Sweden removed from travel corridor list

Despite there being few destinations left on the travel corridor list, and with England going back into national lockdown for a month starting today (5 November), the Department for Transport (DfT) said travel corridors were still "crucial to managing the risk from inbound passengers".

"The government’s travel corridor policy remains a critical part of the government’s Covid-19 response as it mitigates the risk of importing infections from abroad; this has not changed following the introduction of new restrictions in England," said the DfT.

"In England, everyone must stay at home, and may leave only for a very limited set of reasons, including for work or education.

"This means people can no longer travel to take holidays, or travel internationally – unless for work or other legally permitted reasons. The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice to reflect this.

"Fixed penalties, starting at £200, will be given to those found not following the rules, but these fines will double for subsequent offences, up to a maximum of £6,400."

On Germany and Sweden, the DfT said data from the government’s Joint Biosecurity Centre and Public Health England had indicated a "significant change" in both the level and pace of confirmed cases of coronavirus in both destinations.

"There has been a consistent increase in Covid-19 cases per 100,000 of the population in Germany over the past four weeks, with a 75% increase in total cases over this time period," said the DfT.

"In Sweden, new cases per week have increased by 34% over the same time period."

The DfT added anyone in Germany or Sweden should follow local rules, finish their trip as usual, and familiarise themselves with England’s new lockdown rules.