MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Wales mirrors England and Scotland air bridges to safe countries, but includes Spain

The Welsh Government list mirrors that of UK Government - unlike in Scotland, where they have excluded Spain from their list of acceptable destinations.

Welsh Government has amended its coronavirus regulations to allow people to travel to dozens of countries and overseas territories without having to quarantine on their return. The steps by the Government also means residents from those countries can now travel to Wales for summer holidays without having to self isolate.

This follows changes to the UK Government's quarantine rules to create 'air bridges' to countries across the world it considers safe to visit due to their rates of Covid-19 infection.

The Welsh Government list mirrors that of UK Government - unlike in Scotland, where they have excluded Spain from their list of acceptable destinations.

Prior to this amendment if someone from North Wales had travelled from Liverpool or Manchester airports to Greece or Spain then once back in Wales they would have been expected to provide their contact details and travel information and to isolate themselves for a period of 14 days.

China and the US are notable absences from the list of safe countries to visit.

First minister Mark Drakeford said: “We are harmonizing this statement with that given on behalf of the other UK countries.

”The Welsh Government has, throughout this process, aimed to be constructive in enabling the UK Government achieve its policy objective. The UK Government has shared its methodology with us and this has been reviewed by the Chief Medical Officer.”

Below is the list of exempt countries included in the Regulations.

Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Croatia, Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, The Republic of Korea, La Reunion, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malta, Mauritius, Monaco, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Spain, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Vatican City, Vietnam

United Kingdom Overseas Territories

The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in the Island of Cyprus, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat,Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands