UPDATE 1-Northern Ireland to drop COVID-19 quarantine for same countries as England

(Adds details of list, quote from Northern Ireland First
Minister)

By Ian Graham

BELFAST, July 9 (Reuters) - Northern Ireland on Friday will
drop quarantine requirements for people travelling to it from
the same 50 countries that England has exempted, a spokesman for
Northern Ireland's health department said on Thursday.

The British region currently requires people arriving from
abroad to self-quarantine for 14 days, a rule that has angered
airlines and travel companies.

The decision to align with England's approach sets it at
odds with the neighbouring Republic of Ireland, with which it
shares an open border. The Irish government has delayed dropping
its 14-day quarantine for any countries until July 20 and has
indicated it is likely to produce a relatively short list.

England last week announced it would end coronavirus
quarantines for people arriving from more than 50 countries,
including Germany, France, Spain and Italy - but not the United
States - from July 10.

Scotland on Thursday said it will use a similar list but
retain quarantine for travel from Spain.

The move, effective in both England and Northern Ireland on
July 10, clears the way for millions of British tourists to take
summer holidays without worrying about being quarantined when
they return.

The full list of countries exempt by England, which the
health department spokesman said Northern Ireland would follow,
was published here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-travel-corridors

Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster told BBC radio
the list of allowed countries would remain under review, using a
traffic-light system of green and amber countries where travel
is allowed and red where a quarantine is required.
(Reporting by Ian Graham and Conor Humphries; Editing by Hugh
Lawson and Barbara Lewis)