Brit, 20, in mad dash home from Portugal for new job as holidaymakers furious over new quarantine rule – The Sun

A BRIT is in a mad dash to get home from Portugal in time to start her new job as new quarantine rules are imposed on holidaymakers.

Isabelle Brett, 20, is scrambling to get to the UK before the 4am deadline – with tourists slamming the new restrictions as "ridiculous".

She only arrived in the Algarve on Monday but is now racing to catch a flight before starting her new job as a trainee dental nurse next week.

The 20-year-old had been enjoying a break with her mum, dad, and brother in Castro Marim when they realised they would have to act fast to get back to the UK in time.

Isabelle, from Little Canfield in Essex, told The Sun: "I feel like the government has let us down completely, they should have at least given us until Sunday to get back.

"It has been a stressful situation to say the least, and not the best end to our holiday.

"We came out here on Monday after hearing about the government regulations how Portugal was not going on the quarantine list.

"We were on the beach waiting to hear about the new government regulations, all my family thought that nothing would change – until it was announced.

"Straight away we got on the phone to Jet2. I waited an two hours until I got an answer.

"Originally we got told that every flight back to the England was fully booked and there were no flights available.

"I have to start my new job next week which I have been waiting three months to start so there was no possibility that we could quarantine when we got back."

Isabelle and her family had to fork out £520 to fly back to Stansted on Friday night to avoid the new restrictions.

Portugal was only removed from the UK's quarantine list on August 22, but has seen a jump in cases taking it past the 'safe' green zone for daily infections – overall cases are currently 62,126.

Scotland and Wales had already added the country to their travel restricted list last week – sparking concerns England would soon follow suit.

But the Azores and Madeira will not be part of the quarantine rules, Mr Shapps said yesterday – after ministers revealed a regional policy last week.

Simon Brown, 65, is currently in the Algarve in Portugal with his family and is unable to get home to East Grinstead in West Sussex before the new restrictions come into effect.

He told The Sun: “We looked at going home earlier but couldn’t get the flights.

“We are flying back tomorrow afternoon to Heathrow and will quarantine and work from home.

“Yesterday we rushed around to get a Sainsbury’s delivery for Sunday and have had to ask a friend to get us bread and milk.

“We are at Quinta do Lago where we have a villa for the same two weeks every year.

“On Tuesday this week when it was apparent that the infection rates were rising in Portugal we met a family where the man had changed his flight to Friday at a substantial cost because he couldn’t afford to have two weeks off work through quarantine.

We know the risk we are taking to go abroad on holiday but why do the new rules have to come in at 4am on a Saturday?”

Mr Shapps said last night: "Data shows we need to remove PORTUGAL (minus the AZORES and MADEIRA), HUNGARY, FRENCH POLYNESIA and REUNION from the Travel Corridor list to keep everyone safe.

"If you arrive in England from these destinations after 4am Saturday, you will need to self-isolate for 14 days."

The restrictions follow France, which was placed on the quarantine list on August 15, and Spain, placed onto the list on July 22.

Croatia, Malta, the Netherlands and Malta have all been removed from the travel corridor list in recent weeks as well.

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