Spain’s Balearic Islands have been relegated to the UK government’s amber list, just three weeks after they were placed on the green watchlist.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps confirmed the latest changes to the UK’s traffic light categories in a string of tweets issued shortly before 6pm on Wednesday (14 July).
The Balearics, which comprise Ibiza, Majorca, Menorca and Formentera, move from the green watchlist to the amber list, as do the British Virgin Islands.
It comes under three weeks after Shapps confirmed the Balearics would go green, and a fortnight after the change came into effect on 30 June.
Its new traffic light status, as well as that of the BVIs, will come into effect from 4am on Monday (19 July).
However, from Monday, fully vaccinated arrivals from amber list destinations will no longer have to self-isolate for 10 days at home upon their return.
Unvaccinated arrivals from the Balearics will continue to have to self-isolate for 10 days, and submit to tests on days two and eight of their return.
Confirming the additions of Bulgaria and Hong Kong to the UK’s green list, and Croatia and Taiwan to the green watchlist, Shapps said: "We’re also moving the Balearic Islands and [the] British Virgin Islands to the amber list, previously on the green watchlist.
"Also, from 19/07 [19 July], if you’re fully vaccinated in the UK, you can return to England from amber countries and territories without needing to quarantine."
In a statement following Shapps’ tweets, the Department for Transport said its decision to recategorise the Balearics owed to a "sharp rise" in cases. "Since the last traffic light review, the case rate has more than doubled in the Balearics," said the DfT.