HEALTHPLAN MAGAZINE

Brits will find out on Thursday which countries will be placed on the green holiday list in the latest update, with Spain, Greece and Italy looking likely additions.

Other announcements expected include possible quarantine-free holidays to Greece, Italy and Spain returning by August.

The UK government is under mounting pressure to ease the strict Covid travel restrictions that are currently in place, as soon as possible and the latest announcement will bring hope for many who are planning a summer break in the sun.

Ministers are also set to make a decision on whether or not quarantine rules for double-jabbed holidaymakers, who are heading to amber nations, should be ditched in the coming weeks. This is another announcement expected tomorrow.

If the green light is given it would open up unrestricted holidays to countries who are currently on the ‘amber list’, countries like France, Greece, Italy and Spain as well as the USA.

However, this is not likely to be allowed until August. This is when it's expected that all Brits will have had at least one vaccine and also gives time for some protection to kick in.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said that the changes to quarantine rules will not be ready until later this summer, with Downing Street eyeing August at the earliest.

But some senior ministers are pushing for travel restrictions to be eased at the same time other restraints are lifted in the UK on July 19.

Tory MP James Cartlidge, who is Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s right-hand man and aide in Parliament, has written to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to demand double vaccinated Brits be given the freedom to travel next month.

He said: “The proposal to restart international travel by allowing fully vaccinated people to go on holiday would be an absolute lifeline for this industry.”

Adding “I believe that allowing fully vaccinated people to travel is reasonable, and an important step we can take to support our fantastic travel business.”

This development came as holidaymakers, airlines and travel operators alike, back the pleas to save summer holidays by reopening borders to vaccinated Brits next month.

Over 20 bodies in the travel industry are piling the pressure on the Prime Minister to reopen international travel amid low foreign covid rates, and hundreds of smaller travel businesses on the brink of collapse.

Tim Alderslade, CEO of Airline UK, said “When it comes to closing the border, Ministers seem to be able to manage it with ten minutes notice but not the other way round.

"If the unlocking of the domestic economy takes place as planned on 19 July international travel should not have to wait several more weeks.

“The clock is ticking to the end of the summer season and every day we put back reopening is another day of lost revenue, more unsustainable debt and the further risk of mass job losses.”

He was also backed by travel group ABTA who said that the government should "recognise that double vaccinated passengers have a different risk profile to non-vaccinated passengers, both in respect of infection and transmission.”

Boss Mark Tanzier added: "Other countries are ahead of us in this, as in many other respects. We plead for this change as soon as possible."

Derek Jones, boss of travel firm Kuoni called the travel restrictions “haphazard.”

He added: “We are united in one message today: we want to see the safe re-opening of international travel alongside targeted financial support for businesses which have not been able to trade for well over a year.”

Karen Dee, Airport Operators Association Chief, said that passenger numbers this summer will be worse than last year, which was the lowest since 1975.

She said: “Unless the Government makes a meaningful restart of international travel possible, this summer may be worse than 2020, putting more jobs in those communities at risk.

"The Government cannot afford to let those jobs go.”

All of this comes as Nadhim Zahawi, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Covid-19 Vaccine Deployment, is due to give an update on the vaccination rollout later tonight at a press conference.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is also set to make an announcement on Monday, as to whether lockdown can be lifted two weeks early. Although this is expected to be highly unlikely.

UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock has said that he rules out any further lockdown rules in winter, but said that ‘Freedom Day’ was on track as planned. He also pointed out that hospitalisations were “barely rising” and deaths have stayed “very low.”

The current travel restrictions mean that only people travelling to ‘green list’ countries are exempt from self-isolating on returning home. They do however have to take at least two Covid tests, and present one before flying.

Anyone returning from an ‘amber list’ country has to currently quarantine for ten days at home but they can take a third Covid test after five days to cut that time short.

A new system to allow adults who have had two doses to travel to and from amber list without quarantining is set to be announced within days.

Children who haven’t been vaccinated will be able to fly with their parents - as long as they have had both of the vaccine doses.

It is likely that people travelling to ‘amber list’ countries will be asked to wait for two weeks after their second vaccine before travelling, to allow the vaccine to take effect.

Ministers will also make the decision as to whether any new countries should be added to the shortlist of destinations, where unrestricted holidays are currently allowed. Only a small number are expected to be added if any at all.

It has been reported that scientists have told UK ministers that the Balearic Islands are now safe to be moved onto the ‘green list’. That would guarantee quarantine-free breaks to Formentera, Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca. Malta is also expected to be given the green light.

Source

https://www.thesun.co.uk/travel/15365428/brits-green-amber-holiday-spain-greece-update/