Portugal 'regrets' England's decision to remove country from safe travel list

"We regret the British decision to exclude mainland Portugal from the list of countries exempt from quarantine," the foreign ministry said on Twitter. "Our health rules and the effectiveness of our national health service have allowed us to control the effects of the pandemic," Portugal's foreign ministry added on the social media platform.

Portugal's foreign ministry said on Thursday it regrets England's decision to reimpose a quarantine regime for travellers from mainland Portugal, which has hit the tourism-dependent country hard. "We regret the British decision to exclude mainland Portugal from the list of countries exempt from quarantine," the foreign ministry said on Twitter. "But we value they kept Azores and Madeira."

Anybody arriving in England from Portugal, excluding the Azores and Madeira, after 4 am on Saturday will need to self-isolate for 14 days, British transport minister Grant Shapps announced earlier on Thursday. "Our health rules and the effectiveness of our national health service have allowed us to control the effects of the pandemic," Portugal's foreign ministry added on the social media platform.