Portugal's prime minister has criticised Britain for removing his nation from a Covid-19 quarantine-free travel list, and urged London to adhere to a European digital certificate scheme to ease travel, Reuters reports.

"We can't have this system of instability and changes every three weeks," Prime Minister Antonio Costa told reporters. "It isn't good for those who plan their holidays, nor for those who have to organise the tourism industry to receive tourists in good conditions."

He said Portugal was maintaining dialogue with the British government to "explain the decision is not justified and also the serious damage it causes to the British and to the Portuguese economy".