When will this week’s ‘green list’ get leaked?
Q When do you think this week’s “green list” will be leaked? Jodie H
A Just as a reminder: every three weeks, ministers meet to decide on changes to the red, amber and green lists – the last of which is the only group of countries from which travel to the UK is permitted without quarantine. The next is due tomorrow, Thursday 24 June.
After the lamentable shambles of the last “traffic light” review on 3 June, I’d like to think that there will be some decorum about the announcement. On that occasion, prospective travellers and industry leaders learnt through leaks to friendly newspapers of the shocking series of decisions.
The news that Portugal was about to be moved from the green list to amber first appeared on an online site at noon – it was the only significant European holiday destination from which quarantine was not required, so the revelation that restrictions were tightening was a bombshell.
Over the next few hours, more details emerged, including that the promised “green watchlist” transition to give everyone a bit of time had been dropped – and the race was on to get back from Portugal within four days to avoid self-isolation.
Other leaks told the travelling public, the airlines and the rest of the industry that Malta, despite its impeccable credentials, would inexplicably not be moved from amber to green, and that seven countries – including Egypt, Costa Rica and Sri Lanka – had been put on the red list, requiring hotel quarantine
With several government departments involved, as well as the devolved administrations from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, there are multiple ways in which the leaks could have emerged. The hardworking civil servants in the Department for Transport were finally able to get an official announcement out shortly after 4pm. In the interim, one airline chief executive texted me to say: “This is incredible. I am finding out where I can and can’t send my aircraft by reading the Mail Online.”
Whatever you or I might think about the government’s approach to international travel, and the decisions on individual countries, I believe the travel industry and the public deserve to learn about the changes through official channels as soon as a decision is made.
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