The United Kingdom has released a proposed ‘Traffic Light’ system for the resumption of international travel, which could see English travellers resuming holidays from 17th May.
Under the system, countries would be sorted into green, amber and red lists; with each having varying rules for testing and quarantining for returning travellers. The following restrictions will apply:
- Green: Arrivals will need to take a pre-departure test, in addition to a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, on or before day 2 of their arrival back into the UK; there will be no need to quarantine upon return ,unless they receive a positive result, or take any additional tests, halving the cost of tests on their return from holiday
- Amber: Arrivals will need to quarantine for a period of 10 days and take a pre-departure test, then a PCR test on day 2 and day 8 with the option for Test to Release on day 5 to end self-isolation early
- Red: Arrivals will be subject to restrictions currently in place for ‘red list’ countries, which include a 10-day stay in a managed quarantine hotel, pre-departure testing and PCR testing on day 2 and 8
Risk Assessment
At this point, it is too early to say which countries will be in the green category over summer. These decisions “will be driven by the data and evidence at the time”. The UK Government’s Global Travel Taskforce, who developed the proposal, will advise of further arrangements in early May.
Key factors in the assessment of countries’ risk will include:
- The percentage of the country’s population that have been vaccinated
- The rate of infection
- The prevalence of variants of concern
- The country’s access to reliable scientific data and genomic sequencing
Irrespective of being vaccinated or not, all travellers returning from even ‘green list’ countries will still need to submit to a COVID-19 PCR test; this is expected to cost about £150-£250, to be conducted and paid for upon arrival in the UK.
Totally agree with Tom. The cost/benefit analysis is poor to non-existent. This has all become a massive attack on civil liberties.
Lets wait n’ see !!! I still think there could be a possible small lockdown in summer or Autumn if things
start to go wrong! I am not being a killjoy but if people go wild in the younger generation we could see
travel being once again affected as of their behaviour! Lets hope this does not occur but still all abit
bloody confusing as day by day you will have to check as countries change colour like a traffic light!
Personally avoid till Autumn i would say! for some too much effort all this ………only bother flying if you have too,or go on holiday in 2022!
Regards.
Hello
Please advise , what the different countries are in Green, Amber and Red .
The UK authority will announce next month when International travel is allowed.
And if you come from a red country or amber and you’re negative, you’re at no risk to society… and these pcr tests can detect covid from 30-60 days ago, as they can’t distinguish what’s dead or alive or whether you’re contagious or not. The madness needs to stop, otherwise the aviation industry will suffocate under these types of rules as no one will really travel and it will be only the wealthy that will as those costs would be peanuts to them…
Defies logic when last year if you were on the green list you didn’t even have to do any tests… just test on the free NHS ones if you develop symptoms, and now it’s a money making scheme for the medical companies, milking us dry and trying to scare us into not going on holiday or seperating families because of the costs. You can nab a cheap flight for £20 return or £40, but then have to pay from £250-750 based upon the cost of tests. This is insanity.
And the fact vaxxed also have to test shows that even if you take it, you’ll still spread it. So all the mantra, vax to be free, simply isn’t washing. The moment we stop testing and using masks, the medical companies will start losing money, hence why this regime will just keep going forever sadly…
If one is fully vaccinated and is COVID negative on the pre-depature tests I don’t see a reason to quarantine even if one is travelling from a ‘Red’ country