UK government is planning to allow fully vaccinated British nationals to travel to more than 150 countries without the need to quarantine on their return to England later this summer.
It is expected that the new policy to be signed off by government in the next few days, that will allow the reopening of international travel to the tourist destinations in Europe and the US on Britain’s so-called amber list of medium-risk countries.
But nothing can be expected before August, and ministers will surely keep a tight limit on the number of destinations on the so-called green list for quarantine-free travel when they come up with the update this week.
Final decisions on the quarantine policy and the green list is yet to be taken pending scientific advice on the status of the pandemic.
“The whole point of the vaccine program is to be able to remove restrictions,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock told LBC radio on Tuesday. “We are working on a plan for double vaccinated people, using tests and to have that testing regime in place instead of having to have the quarantine in some circumstances.”
It has been a blood bath for the aviation and tourism since the start of the pandemic, as governments closed borders to stop travellers importing the virus. With the European Union now moving to ease border restrictions, onus is on UK to follow the suit .
Last week, Ryanair and the owner of Manchester and Stansted airports filed a court challenge to the UK rules, saying a lack of transparency on how the government assesses risk levels is undermining consumer confidence.
A mass lobbying event is being planned on Wednesday to highlight the demands that included targeted aid, amid warnings that up to 218,000 jobs are at risk due to travel restrictions.
“The government has to decide if this summer it will make or break the UK travel industry,” said Brian Strutton, acting general secretary of the Balpa pilots union.
England currently follows a traffic light system based on assessments of pandemic risk, including vaccination and infection rates. The safest countries are on the “green list,” and passengers arriving in England from them do not need to quarantine.
People arriving from 167 destinations on the amber list are required to quarantine at home for 10 days and take tests after arriving, while those landing from red list countries, rated the worst-hit by Covid ,must quarantine in a hotel.
If officials are to be believed, the government is also due to give an update on rule changes, including exemptions for people who have been fully vaccinated, and this could also come on Thursday or on June 28.
Johnson said Monday ministers will be examining how to give more freedom to vaccinated travellers, but warned “this is going to be, whatever happens, a difficult year for travel” with disruption and delays likely to continue.
“The priority has got to be keeping the country safe and to stop the virus coming back in,” he said.
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