Britons could be jetting off on summer holidays from May 17 – but will face at least three coronavirus tests even if they visit the safest countries.
Boris Johnson is expected to announce tomorrow that the current ‘stay in the UK’ policy will be replaced with a ‘traffic light’ system. Countries will be colour-coded on the basis of their vaccination programmes, infection rates and prevalence of known variants and ability to track them.
A list of which nation is in which group is expected to be released next month and there is cautious optimism that ‘green’ countries will include the US, Maldives, Barbados, UAE, Gibraltar, Malta and Israel. But even visitors to those countries will face a barrage of tests and a bill potentially running into hundreds of pounds.
Despite the inconvenience and cost, travel experts believe many will still want to seek sunshine overseas after spending much of the past year in lockdown
Travellers coming from ‘green list’ countries will not have to quarantine but they will have to take at least three Covid tests – either PCRs or lateral-flows with high sensitivity
Travellers coming from ‘green list’ countries will not have to quarantine but they will have to take at least three Covid tests – either PCRs or lateral-flows with high sensitivity. They will have to take one before leaving for the UK (no more than 72 hours before take-off), and two when they get back – the first on day two after arriving home and the second on day eight. The country they fly to may require even more tests.
People flying in from ‘red list’ nations will need to quarantine in a hotel, as they do currently. ‘Amber list’ visitors will have to isolate for ten days at home, while taking tests before and after travel. Both ‘red’ and ‘amber’ travellers will also need to take three tests. It is still unclear if children will be affected.
Despite the inconvenience and cost, travel experts believe many will still want to seek sunshine overseas after spending much of the past year in lockdown.
Travel consultant Paul Charles said: ‘Summer holidays this year will be sun, sea, sand and swabs. Yes, they will be different and there will be more social distancing, more wearing of masks and more handwashing, but we are used to that now. I think consumers are looking forward to a holiday as people need a break.’
Alex Macheras, an aviation analyst, said: ‘A resumption of flights in May, with clear measures and protocols in place that ensure air travel and Covid-19 can co-exist, will be the shot in the arm the industry is so desperate in need of.’
But bosses of leading airlines and travel companies last night urged Mr Johnson not to impose travel restrictions on vaccinated passengers. In a letter organised by the industry association Airlines UK and signed by bosses of companies including British Airways, EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic, they said: ‘We recognise that universal, restriction-free international travel everywhere may not be possible from May 17.
However, there can be no economic recovery without aviation, and we are confident we now have the tools to enable a safe and meaningful restart to air travel in May.’
Emma Brennan, a spokesman for the travel industry body ABTA, said: ‘I think people do want to go on holiday because they have spent so long at home.’
Meanwhile, Henry Smith, a Tory MP whose constituency covers Gatwick Airport, today urges the Government to protect the aviation industry. Writing in The Mail on Sunday, he says: ‘For some, the situation in some European nations leads to the conclusion that the safest and best course of action is to keep our borders closed and remain in splendid isolation.
‘This is a dangerous approach that dismisses the progress from our vaccination programme but also fundamentally fails to understand the economic importance and value of aviation to the UK.’
Officials are said to be looking at finding a cheaper way of testing holidaymakers. ‘We want it to be as cheap and as accessible as possible,’ said a source.
The Government’s global taskforce is also said to be looking at whether people who have had two doses of the vaccine could avoid needing a test before flying.
Downing Street said: ‘We will continue to monitor the risks posed by individual countries and consider a range of factors to inform the restrictions placed on them.’
The situation has been complicated by the third wave tearing across much of Europe. Countries including Greece, Cyprus and Croatia, which rely heavily on tourism, have already offered vaccinated Britons quarantine-free and test-free entry to their countries.
The Foreign Office is believed to be in talks with more governments about securing bilateral agreements for vaccinated travellers and testing regimes for other holidaymakers.
Last night, a Government source said it was pursuing a ‘softly-softly catchy-monkey approach’ to avoid having to reintroduce restrictions.
