EU takes Tunisia off virus-safe travel list

A rise in Covid-19 cases in Tunisia has prompted the European Union to remove it from its list of countries exempt from its coronavirus travel ban.

MENA

1 min read

The New Arab Staff & Agencies

21 October, 2020

Tunisia has been removed from the list [LightRocket]

The European Union has removed Canada, Georgia and Tunisia from its list of countries exempt from its coronavirus travel ban because of rising case numbers, European sources said Wednesday.

To slow the epidemic, the EU has advised members to ban travellers arriving from outside the bloc unless they come from a short list of countries deemed safe - or at least safer than Europe.

Member state envoys have agreed to remove three countries from the list, and to add Singapore, bringing it down to nine from 11 territories, diplomats told AFP.

Read also: Pandemic impact on Tunisia tourism 'catastrophic'

Residents of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Uruguay and Singapore are now the only travellers deemed safe on the advisory list, although EU member states can set their own rules.

China is the ninth country - with the proviso it reciprocates for EU travellers which to date it has not.

Some visitors deemed essential, such as health workers and senior government officials, are exempt from the ban.

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