Portugal flights back to the UK sell out as Brits await quarantine decision
FLIGHTS back to the UK from Portugal are selling out as Brits await the quarantine announcement later today.
The country is expected to be put back onto the list after being removed from it on August 22, due to soaring cases.
The UK government, using data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) are triggered by any countries who report 20 new cases per 100,000 population, over seven days.
Portugal has jumped to 23, despite being just 14 the previous week, according to Quash Quarantine spokesperson Paul Charles.
According to , all Ryanair flights from Faro, popular with holidaymakers heading to the Algarve, back to the UK have sold out for today and tomorrow.
The only available offers include business class flights with BA - costing £850 - or easyJet flights costing £350.
Flight prices have been soaring since the beginning of the week as demand has soared.
Sun Online Travel found tickets from Faro to London as high as £355 earlier this week, while they were just £30 a few weeks ago, according to the Mail Online.
It is worth noting though, that while fares have been rock bottom for Portugal over the last few months, £300 is a typical fare for a last minute flight during peak holiday season.
One-way tickets for the rest of September can be found under £100, and as cheap as £18 towards the end of the month.
The announcement is expected tonight, with the quarantine to be enforced by 4am on Saturday.
Similar quarantine announcements were made for France, Spain and Croatia in recent weeks, giving Brits less than 48 hours to get back to the UK to avoid two weeks of self-isolation.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock refused to answer whether Portugal will be put back onto the list today, although warned: "Everybody has seen that we are prepared to take decisions to put individual countries back on the quarantine list if that is what is necessary."
Previous warnings from Transport Secretary Grant Schapps, who found himself stuck in Spain after the quarantine was introduced in July, said that all holidaymakers heading abroad should be prepared to have to isolate on their return to the UK due to last-minute restrictions.
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Fears that Greece may be placed onto the quarantine list have also grown, after Scotland and Wales enforced their own restrictions.
All arrivals from Greece into Scotland from Greece must quarantine for two weeks, while only Zante arrivals into Wales must follow the same rules.
Pressure has been put on Downing Street to enforce the restrictions for the rest of the UK, after two TUI flights were forced to self-isolate all passengers on board.
However, new daily cases for Greece remain under the government's quota of 20, coming in at 13.8 - lower than the UK - meaning it is unlikely to be added this week.