Covid: International travel restrictions may be eased for fully vaccinated holidaymakers

International travel rules could be relaxed for those who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, under plans being considered by the Government

Officials are now looking at proposals that could allow holidaymakers who have had both doses of the Covid jab to avoid having to quarantine when returning from amber list countries.

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At a glance: 5 key points

- The proposals could mean the return of holidays to popular summer hotspots such as Spain, Portugal, France and Italy

- People arriving from the limited number of holiday destinations on the green list are not required to self-isolate

- Those arriving from amber list countries are currently required to quarantine at home for 10 days

- The proposals could appease the air travel industry, who are unhappy with the current restrictions

- The Government is now under pressure to restart international travel by the tourism industry.

What’s been said

“As set out in the Global Travel Taskforce, we are working with industry for a safe return to international travel, guided by one overwhelming priority, public health.

“Decisions on our traffic light system are kept under constant review, and based on a range of health factors.

“Recognising the strong strategic rationale and success of the vaccine programme, we have commenced work to consider the role of vaccinations in shaping a different set of health and testing measures for inbound travel.”

A Government spokeswoman

Background

Demand for air travel collapsed in March 2020 when the UK first went into lockdown in response to the pandemic.

The Government is now under pressure to restart international travel by the tourism industry.

Ryanair and the owner of Manchester and Stansted airports are set to launch legal action against the Government over its international travel traffic light system.

The Government’s risk-based system - with red, amber and green ratings for different countries - determines the quarantine and Covid testing requirements people face when returning to the UK from overseas.

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