Wish you were here ... hopes of foreign holidays are rising
HOLIDAYMAKERS who have had two Covid jabs are likely to be able to travel to more countries without having to quarantine from August.
Government sources said changes could be announced as early as tomorrow when the green list for safe travel is updated. But it is far from certain as proposals are still a “work in progress”.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said testing could be used instead of isolation but warned of the threat of new variants.
Success
He added: “Because of the success of the vaccination programme at home we want to be very careful about international travel.
“Having said that, the whole point of the vaccine programme is to be able to remove restrictions and for people to be able to be kept safe by the vaccine, rather than by these rules.
“So 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.”
An update to the green list for safe travel will be announced tomorrow but changes are expected to be limited.
An overhaul to rules for double-jabbed travellers is likely to apply only to countries on the amber list, which requires visitors to isolate at home on their return.
At the moment popular holiday destinations like Spain, which includes the Canary Isles, and Greece are amber.
Mr Hancock said the main NHS phone app will be an important way to prove vaccine status when travelling overseas.
A major protest is being held in Westminster today by aviation and travel workers furious at the impact restrictions are having on their industry.
Mark Tanzer, chief executive of Abta, said that the travel trade organisation is considering legal action against the Government.
He issued a “heartfelt plea for political change” on international travel, adding: “Our economic contribution is weighty.”