Amber list: Fully-vaccinated tourists to be allowed to travel without self-isolating
8 July 2021, 10:22 | Updated: 8 July 2021, 10:26
Travellers who have had two doses of a coronavirus vaccine will be able to go to amber-list countries like Spain and Greece without quarantining upon return.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is set to outline plans for holidaymakers to avoid self-isolating for 10 days after arriving back.
Ministers were expected to sign off the move on Thursday morning, ahead of Mr Shapps' statement in the House of Commons.
The plans will be a welcome boost to the travel industry, which wants restrictions to be relaxed from July 19, when the fourth and final easing of England's lockdown is expected to go ahead.
Boris Johnson previously described vaccines as a "liberator" that would allow people to travel.
He said earlier in July that "there's no doubt at all that once you've got two jabs, you are in a much better position".
Read more: PM unveils plan for fully-vaccinated people to no longer isolate after amber list holiday
Read more: Amber list 'update': What are the quarantine rules for travellers?
He added: "Obviously, as everybody can see, we will be going forward in the autumn with an extra vaccination programme, a booster programme, for the more vulnerable just to give us that extra insulation, that extra security that we need.
"But certainly… everybody who's frustrated about travel over the summer, double jabs will be a liberator.
Malta, Madeira and Balearics among additions to travel green list
"But I want to repeat a point that I've made before and I hope people will forgive me if I say this - obviously I want travel to be possible, but I've got to stress that this year will not be like every other year because of the difficulties with Covid.
"People shouldn't expect that to be completely hassle free."
Amber list countries require travellers to undergo a 10 day quarantine and Covid tests.
Read more: Top business executives granted amber list quarantine exemption if supporting UK jobs
Destinations on the list include mainland Spain and the Canary Islands, Greece and France.
Travel chiefs have been frustrated the Government has not been quicker to ease restrictions given the vaccine rollout.
EasyJet boss Johan Lundgren said: "For too long, Brits have been uncertain of when they can enjoy the same travel freedoms afforded by their jab as those in Europe and this is despite the huge success of our vaccination programme which has now successfully fully vaccinated around two thirds of UK adults."
Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, advised consumers to "lock in deals" before prices go up because "the Government is likely to announce a vaccine dividend for the fully-jabbed from July 19".
