Scots holidaymakers will be required to quarantine when entering Switzerland amid fears over the Omicron Covid variant.
The Swiss government announced that the UK has been added to the country’s ‘risk country list’.
This means that anyone traveling into Switzerland by plane must self-isolate for 10 days.
All travellers heading in from Scotland and the rest of the UK will be required to present a negative Covid test on arrival into the country.
The Swiss Embassy UK tweeted: “The UK has been added to Switzerland’s risk country list.
“When boarding a plane and entering Switzerland, all persons travelling from the UK must present a negative Covid-19 test and quarantine for 10 days."
It comes after the UK Government confirmed that two cases of the Omicron Covid variant were identified in England.
Scientists have raised fears about the heavily mutated variant, which is believed to be more transmissible than Delta - which has been the most dominant Covid strain in Scotland for a number of months.
There are also concerns that the variant may be able to evade some protections from vaccines.
No Omicron cases have been discovered in Scotland so far.
The Scottish Government yesterday announced new restrictions for international travellers in light of the cases discovered in England.
Fully vaccinated travellers will need to take a PCR test within two days of their arrival in Scotland. Passengers will also be required to self-isolate until they receive a negative result.
Ten countries have also been added to Scotland’s red list for international travel in recent days.
Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has urged Scots to ‘redouble their efforts’ in preventing the potential spread of the strain.
He said: “News that two cases of the Omicron variant have been confirmed in England is a stark reminder that we must not drop our guard.
“No cases have yet been detected in Scotland, but the fact this new variant is on our doorstep is clearly a worry and we should act as though it is already here.
“There is still much to learn about the Omicron variant. Questions remain about its severity, transmissibility and effect on treatments or vaccines and scientists are working at pace to provide additional information. Until more is known we must adopt the precautionary principle and do everything we can to minimise the risk of spreading infection.
Mr Yousaf added: “As we head into winter we are facing an as yet unknown risk from this new variant. Let’s once again rise to the challenge and do everything we can to keep everyone safe.”
