The EU is expected to allow fully vaccinated Brits to fly to Europe without needing to do a Covid test or quarantine, it has been reported.
EU ambassadors are said to be preparing to sign off plans today which will see all countries in the bloc adopt uniform entry requirements. The system will likely be based on passengers’ vaccine statuses, The Telegraph reports.
At present, all European countries, except from green-listed Portugal and Gibraltar, have been put on the Government’s amber list, which demands arrivals quarantine at home for 10 days when they return.
Travel to amber list countries is not currently recommended, with Matt Hancock stating that Brits should avoid visiting them other than for ‘exceptional reasons’, even though it is legal to do so.
The EU’s ‘green-list’ of travel destinations is limited to seven of the lowest-risk countries, including Australia and New Zealand.
It is thought EU ambassadors will meet to agree a European Commission proposal today, and call for travel restrictions with countries that have low infection rates to be lifted.
The UK has around 44 Covid cases per 100,000 people, while the US has 35 infections per 100,000, meaning both countries could be added to the list.
Those who have been vaccinated in the UK will be able to prove this through the NHS app, or by securing a green certificate under development by the EU.
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Anyone without the vaccine will have to take a Covid test before they travel, or give evidence they were infected in recent months, meaning they would still have antibodies in their system.
Green list travel restrictions lifted on Monday, with thousands of passengers jetting out of the UK for the first time this year. The Health Secretary then came under fire for the traffic light system, after he advised against going to amber destinations.
Huw Merriman, who chairs the Transport Select Committee, said: ‘Given that he’s just effectively turned the amber list into red, can I ask him what the point of me having my passport is anymore?
‘Covid will always mutate, the vaccine will always have to keep up. We managed to vaccinate 99% of the mortality risk. When will this Government actually take a little bit of risk and allow people to get on with their lives again?’
Hancock responded by stating that the traffic light lists reflect the risks of other countries across the globe.
He went on: ‘The amber list of course means that you have to quarantine at home, the red list means quarantine in a hotel, the green list means that we think that it is safe to travel.
‘So of course he should get his passport out, he can get on a plane to Portugal or one of the other countries.
‘It allows for some careful foreign travel, but my first duty is to protect the lives of people here in the UK and the best way to do that right now is to make sure we are cautious on international travel to protect the opening up here at home.’
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from metro.co.uk
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