There is new hope today for Britons desperate for ‘quarantine free’ holidays in Portugal – and indeed any other ‘amber list’ countries (which continue to be the vast majority of popular holiday destinations).
Reports suggest that ministers are ‘looking at loosening travel restrictions for full vaccinated travellers’ – meaning proof of two-jabs COULD do away with the need for 10-days quarantine at home on return to UK.
The constantly changing landscape when it comes to international travel is leaving many people totally confused.
Rules in UK just add to the problems. Explain reports, right now official government advice urges people not to travel (to amber list countries) but there are no laws in place to stop them.
Quarantine too is ‘open ended’. The official line is that it should be 10 days, but using the ‘test-to-release’ system, holiday-returnees can ostensibly shorten this from day five.
Thus the ‘plan’ is designed to clear up some of the grey areas, at the same time “further encouraging people to get both jabs”.
The idea does not appear to accommodate travellers who have only had one jab.
For now it is simply ‘a plan’ – floated perhaps to gauge reactions.
The UK government has been under attack for its ‘chaotic approach’ to international travel.
Former prime minister Theresa May has complained: “We are falling behind the rest of Europe in our decisions to open up … It’s incomprehensible that one of the most heavily vaccinated countries in the world is one that is most reluctant to give its citizens the freedoms those vaccinations should support.”
Former transport secretary Chris Grayling has also said the government’s decisions will cost hundreds of thousands of jobs and leave the aviation industry “decimated for the future”, while former health minister Stephen Hammond accuses the government of ignoring the data and making “illogical” choices about the green, amber and red lists.
Other countries in Europe, namely Germany, France, Spain and Greece, have already opened up to fully-vaccinated passengers.
More of this will come over the next few days. But there is still ‘confusion’ bearing in mind the Delta variant appears to reduce the protective ability of the vaccines, particularly when it comes to AstraZeneca (click here).
