Green light for foreign holidays as Boris Johnson relaxes border quarantine rules
Brits going on holiday to low-risk countries won't have to stay indoors when they get back to the UK - but destinations could still quarantine holidaymakers when they arrive unless 'air bridge' deals can be struck
Summer holidays abroad were given the green light tonight as Boris Johnson prepared to lift coronavirus travel curbs to foreign destinations.
Families could soon be packing their bags for flights to favourite hotspots such as France, Spain and Greece as quarantine restrictions are lifted for people returning from those countries.
However, it remains unclear whether British nationals could be forced into self-isolation as they begin their holidays.
The UK Government is still in talks with countries in a bid to persuade them not to quarantine UK tourists when they arrive.
An official announcement is expected next week when the Prime Minister is expected to confirm deals for “air bridges” or “travel corridors” have been struck with some overseas governments.
Britons would be able to begin their trips to those destinations the following week.
A traffic light system will decide which nations are safe to travel to, with those classed as green or amber available to holidaymakers.
Experts have studied how rife coronavirus is within countries, whether the UK can trust their Covid-19 figures, and whether their infection rates are falling, climbing or flatlining.
Britons holidaying in “green” or “amber” countries will not have to self-isolate for 14 days when they get back.
But foreign governments could still look at Britain's death toll – the highest in Europe – and decide they want to quarantine arrivals from the UK.
The Foreign Office will change its travel advice for certain nations.
It has advised against all non-essential travel to anywhere in the world for more than three months.
A Government spokesman said: “Our public health measures at the border were put in place to manage the risk of imported cases and help prevent a second wave of the virus, and will continue to support our fight against coronavirus.
“Our new risk-assessment system will enable us to carefully open a number of safe travel routes around the world, giving people the opportunity for a summer holiday abroad and boosting the UK economy through tourism and business.
“But we will not hesitate to put on the brakes if any risks re-emerge, and this system will enable us to take swift action to re-introduce self-isolation measures if new outbreaks occur overseas.”
The aviation and travel industries have been pleading with ministers to thrash out air bridges with countries where the risk of contracting Covid-19 is deemed low.
Crisis-hit airlines have seen bookings tumble and announced plans for thousands of redundancies.
The traffic light system, drawn up by the Joint Biosecurity Centre, come as the Government finishes the first review of its quarantine regime.
The controversial scheme was introduced on June 8 by Home Secretary Priti Patel.
Coronavirus lockdown changes: What is still illegal after July 4 in EnglandShe claimed it would minimise the danger of arrivals from abroad bringing the infection to the UK.
But critics said Britain had a higher rate of disease than many of the countries from which people were travelling.
They insisted a 14-day isolation for foreign arrivals should have been introduced at least three months earlier when coronavirus was spreading around the globe.
But the Government tonight insisted the quarantine system remained crucial to its hopes of avoiding a second wave of infections.
People travelling from countries deemed at red risk of Covid-19 will still have to self-isolate on their arrival.
All people arriving from abroad, including British nationals returning from countries deemed safer, will still have to supply their contact information so health officials can trace them if someone they have been near, for example on a plane, displays symptoms or tests positive for Covid-19.
Lockdown changes in England from July 4
All arrivals will have to complete a “passenger locator form” before entering the UK.
Officials stressed the Government would constantly monitor each country’s infection rates to guard against a resurgence of coronavirus in the UK.
Sources said they “will not hesitate to put on the brakes” if risks re-emerged either in the UK or within countries on the green and amber lists.
A spike in infections in one region of a country could see UK tourists flying back from a different part of that country forced to self-isolate for a fortnight when they land, and restrictions on travel to and from that nation reimposed immediately.