A HOST of countries have been removed from Wales’ coronavirus quarantine list, health minister Vaughan Gething has announced.

The countries and territories removed are Uruguary, Sri Lanka, Rwanda, Israel, Namibia, Northern Mariana Islands, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, and the US Virgin Islands.

Travellers from those countries and territories will therefore not be required to isolate on arrival in Wales.

The changes come into effect from 4am on Saturday, as part of the weekly update to so-called "travel corridors".

No countries are being added to the travel quarantine list today.

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On Thursday evening, in a statement released by the Welsh government, Mr Gething said: “Members will be aware that the Welsh Government made provision in the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) Regulations 2020 to ensure that travellers entering Wales from overseas countries and territories must isolate for 14 days and provide passenger information, to prevent the further spread of coronavirus.  These restrictions came into force on 8 June 2020.

“On 10 July, the Welsh government amended these regulations to introduce exemptions from the isolation requirement for a list of countries and territories, and a limited range of people in specialised sectors or employment who may be exempted from the isolation requirement or excepted from certain provisions of the passenger information requirements.

“Since then these regulations have been kept under review and a number of changes to the list of exempt countries and territories have been made.

“Today I reviewed the latest JBC assessments and I have decided that Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba; Israel; the City of Jerusalem; Namibia; the Northern Mariana Islands; Rwanda; Sri Lanka; Uruguay and the US Virgin Islands will be added to the list of exempt countries and territories.

“Tomorrow I will lay the necessary regulations which will come into force at 04:00 on Saturday 21 November.”