Covid: Fully-vaccinated people will be allowed to travel to amber list countries without having to quarantine

Fully-vaccinated adults and children will not have to quarantine on their return to England from amber list countries from July 19.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps detailed his plans to MPs on Thursday to free up foreign holidays as coronavirus restrictions are eased.

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At a glance: 5 key points

- Holidaymakers from the UK who have received two jabs will no longer be required to self-isolate for 10 days on their return to England from destinations on the amber list.

- People aged under 18 will also be exempted from the requirement and the guidance not to travel to countries on the amber list will be lifted from July 19.

- Holidaymakers coming back from holidays from amber destinations, such as France, Spain, and Portugal, will still be required to take a Covid-19 test three days before returning.

- They will also have to take a test on or before the second day of their return, but will be exempted from the day eight test.

- While the announcement is for UK residents only, Mr Shapps said ministers are “working to extend our approach to vaccinated passengers from important markets of holiday destinations later this summer such as the United States and the EU”.

What’s been said

“In essence, this means that for fully vaccinated travellers the requirements for green and amber list countries are the same.”

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps

“This is excellent news that will give a much-needed boost to millions of people across Britain looking forward to a more normal summer and reuniting with family and friends abroad.”

Heathrow boss John Holland-Kaye

Tim Alderslade, chief executive of the Airlines UK industry body, welcomed the announcement as a “positive move towards the genuine reopening” for the ailing sector.

“The summer season essentially starts here.”

Background

The move comes as a group of more than 120 scientists and medics called on the Government to halt its plans for lockdown lifting, describing them as a “dangerous and unethical experiment”.

In a letter to the Lancet, they warned millions more people will became infected if it goes ahead, leaving hundreds of thousands with long-term illness and disability through long Covid.

Wednesday saw a further 32,548 lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases in the UK, the highest daily reported total since January 23, and a further 33 deaths.

The number of Covid-19 patients in hospital in England stood at 2,144 as of 8am on Wednesday, according to the latest figures from NHS England – up 43% from a week earlier and the highest number since April 10.

And a total of 416 hospital admissions of people with Covid-19 in England were reported for Monday, up 70% from a week earlier and the highest number since March 15.

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