UK travellers returning from France, Malta and Netherlands with have to quarantine

France, Malta and the Netherlands are among the new countries added to the UK’s quarantine list.

Travellers returning from those countries must self-isolate for 14 days on arrival in the UK.

The measure will come into force at 4am on Saturday morning.

Mr Shapps said the decision to add France to the list came after the country reported a 66% increase in the number of positive tests in the last week alone.

Monaco, Turks & Caicos and Aruba have also been added to the quarantine list.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced the move just hours after the prime minister said his government would be “absolutely ruthless” in deciding whether to impose the restriction.

Mr Shapps said on Thursday night: “This evening we’re announcing that there will now be a quarantine brought in for a number of other locations including France, Holland and some others.

Britain has imposed a 14-day quarantine period for arrivals from countries including Spain and Belgium, responding to rising infections and fears of a second wave of the virus, having initially declared them safe for travel.