UK quarantine change sparks scramble to return from France

British holidaymakers faced a scramble to get home on Friday after the government said it will reimpose a 14-day quarantine for travellers from France and the Netherlands, prompting Paris to quickly announce a "reciprocal measure". The UK government said the change will kick in at 0400 (0300 GMT) on Saturday, likely sparking a mass exodus among the estimated 160,000 British holidaymakers currently in France, after a rise in coronavirus cases there. "Data shows we need to remove France, the Netherlands, Monaco, Malta, Turks & Caicos & Aruba from our list of coronavirus Travel Corridors to keep infection rates DOWN," Transport Minister Grant Shapps wrote on Twitter. "If you arrive in the UK after 0400 Saturday from these destinations, you will need to self-isolate for 14 days." French junior minister for European affairs Clement Beaune said it was "a British decision we regret and which will lead to a reciprocal measure". France "hoped for a return to normal as soon as possible," Beaune said. Britain's badly-hit tourism sector also criticised the move. "The UK needs a more sustainable long-term plan for the resumption of travel than quarantine roulette," said a spokesman for Heathrow Airport, the country's busiest hub.<br/>