12:55 , 4 June 2021

Portugal removed from travel green list because '12 cases' of Nepal strain found there.

COVID-19 latest: PORTUGAL was hauled off the travel green list despite the fact only TWELVE cases of the new "Nepal strain" have been found there.

Lisbon fumed against the "illogical" decision to dash millions of Brits' holiday hopes by turning the country amber.

And in shambolic scenes, a Cabinet minister admitted he had no idea how many cases were detected before the decision to pull the plug.

Housing secretary Robert Jenrick insisted the action was nonetheless needed stop the new strain wrecking homes of ending lockdown on June 21.

He said ministers had to move quickly and suggested people should think twice about booking and foreign trips in future.

Lisbon expressed dismay and confusion after it was yanked off the quarantine-free list in a shock decision yesterday evening.

Brits on holiday in the country now have until 4am on Tuesday morning to return home or they'll face mandatory 10 day self-isolation.

Algarve MP Cristóvão Norte said he was "perplexed" by the decision and that most of the spike in cases had occurred in Lisbon.

He added: "I have heard about the Nepalese variant, and I want to stress we have 12 cases of that variant.

"I don't know what data the English Government has but I would say it is a harsh decision for us."

TWELVE cases of Nepal strain in Portugal as ministers say it HAD to come off green list to keep hopes of June 21 freedom

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