Europe Covid: Switzerland forces UK arrivals to quarantine for 10 days

Europe Covid: Switzerland forces UK arrivals to quarantine for 10 days
Europe Covid: Switzerland forces UK arrivals to quarantine for 10 days

Winter holiday plans for thousands of Britons have been thrown into chaos after Switzerland suddenly tightened Covid entry rules over fears of the Omicron variant. 

Anyone wanting to travel to the Alpine country from the UK now has to quarantine for 10 days on arrival, even if they have been double-vaccinated against Covid, recovered from the disease or tested negative.

The rules will ruin the holiday plans of thousands of Britons who fly to Geneva in order to reach nearby French ski resorts such as Val Thorens, Courchevel, and Meribel - as well as resorts in Switzerland itself.

It comes after France announced it would require a Covid vaccine pass to access sky slopes, causing further difficulties for Britons wanting to travel. 

Winter tourists hoping to reach ski slopes in France (pictured, Val Thorens) have had their travel plans thrown into chaos after Switzerland imposed a 10-day quarantine on all Britons

Winter tourists hoping to reach ski slopes in France (pictured, Val Thorens) have had their travel plans thrown into chaos after Switzerland imposed a 10-day quarantine on all Britons

Those hoping to reach the French resorts are now being forced to divert to Lyon, though capacity is far more limited at that airport than Geneva.

Anyone unable to get a flight to Lyon faces either a three-hour transfer from Grenoble, or else an eight-hour journey from Calais. 

Switzerland imposed its new restrictions at 8pm on Saturday, after two cases of the Omicron variant of Covid were discovered in the UK.

Some travellers caught unawares by the sudden change faced the nightmare situation of landing at Geneva, only to be turned around by border guards.

Tim Woods, from Wigan, was travelling to Italy via Geneva on Saturday. 

He told The Times that he was allowed to board his EasyJet flight in Manchester, but was then turned back in Switzerland and forced to return home.

His luggage remain in Switzerland, and to top it off his insurance company will not pay out because it doesn't cover border changes to do with Covid.

UK cases of Omicron now stand at 14, with most of them uncovered in Scotland following a rugby game against South Africa. 

Other cases have been identified in Nottingham, London and Essex. 

Switzerland followed the lead of the UK, which was the first country to impose travel restrictions on seven southern African countries where the variant was first uncovered last week.

Geneva is a popular route for thousands of people hoping to reach the ski resorts of the French Alps, but thousands are now having to re-plan their trips in light of the new rules

Geneva is a popular route for thousands of people hoping to reach the ski resorts of the French Alps, but thousands are now having to re-plan their trips in light of the new rules 

Since then, dozens of nations

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