UK Covid live information: ‘true different’ to open up travel for those with two jabs, says Boris Johnson

That’s it from the UK weblog group. You may per chance well maybe practice our global coronavirus protection right here –

Gwyn Topham

Here is some response to the changes to the UK’s green list from our transport correspondent, Gwyn Topham.

The Balearic islands accounted for extra than 8% of UK flights to EU countries in the closing pre-Covid summer of 2019, when practically 1,000 flights a week would saunter some distance flung from the UK, according to information from analysts Cirium.

Next week upright 214 are scheduled to skim from the UK to the islands, basically from Jet 2 and Ryanair, with 32 to Malta and 19 to Madeira, although the different of flights is anticipated to upward push all of a sudden. EasyJet mentioned it could per chance well be adding extra services and products to the Balearics to meet an anticipated surge in seek information from.

Virgin Atlantic welcomed the addition of Caribbean locations to the green list however mentioned the announcement did now not saunter some distance enough. Shai Weiss, chief govt, mentioned: “The authorities’s possess proof reveals that the US is low risk and ought to be added to the green list now. Even as the transatlantic corridor is closed, £23m in financial designate day after day is limited.”

He known as for quarantine to be removed for totally vaccinated passengers from amber countries in time for the domestic reopening on 19 July.

The Commerce Travel Affiliation described the updated green list as “bitterly disappointing”, asserting the lack of main economies on the list turned into “reducing off British industry”. The Unite union mentioned that the minute changes showed that the system turned into no longer fit for aim, and reiterated calls for abet for the beleaguered travel and aviation sector.

A spokesman mentioned: “Asking a full trade to withhold its breath each three weeks to see where countries will be placed on the web page visitors light system prevents ultimate planning selections being made.”

The Airport Operators Affiliation mentioned any extension of the green list turned into welcome, “however this is just not any longer yet the vital restart the aviation trade wants to be ready to recuperate from the pandemic.”

The chair of the transport bewitch out committee, Huw Merriman, who had slammed the “shambolic” web page visitors light system earlier this week, mentioned the changes had been “a switch in the upright route” however that travel to the extra than 150 countries on the amber list turned into unexcited unnecessarily tough.

He mentioned the authorities ought to “admit going in a foreign country is stable for those who’ve had each jabs … in time for the initiating of the July summer holidays”.

Rory Boland, travel editor for client group Which?, mentioned travellers unexcited wished to be “extremely cautious” about booking journeys in a foreign country.

He mentioned: “International locations would possibly per chance even be downgraded speedy and with shrimp warning, as we noticed with Portugal, whereas quite loads of European countries have supplied quarantine requirements for UK residents.

“Restrictions round global travel are altering on a neatly-liked basis and when they pause, the price to holidaymakers is critical.

“Most services will no longer pay refunds if a nation is moved from green to amber, and ‘free’ amendments are on the final one thing however, with many corporations requiring vital phrase of any changes and bookings for fresh dates on the final costing tons of of kilos. Travel insurance is moreover no longer likely to pay out in these circumstances.

“It’s only truly helpful to book if you are prepared to pause 14 days’ quarantine, would possibly per chance even be flexible about travel set up and dates, and book with a supplier that ensures refunds in the match of web page visitors light changes or quarantine requirements.”

Eluned Morgan MS, minister for health and social services and products in Wales, mentioned: “International travel is resuming however the pandemic is just not any longer over and keeping folks’s health remains our main precedence.

“Our genuine advice continues to be no longer to travel in a foreign country except it will most doubtless be critical thanks to the risk of contracting coronavirus, especially fresh and emerging variants of danger.

The Welsh authorities mentioned following the three-week review of the constraints on global travel it is going to practice the the same web page visitors-light manner as the remainder of the UK.

Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Balearic Islands, Barbados, Bermuda, British Antarctic

Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands,

Dominica, Grenada, Madeira, Malta Montserrat, Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno

Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands had been moved to the green list.

We now have moreover agreed to add Israel to the green scrutinize list – this identifies countries most at risk of transferring from green to amber, so travellers have some warning a travel set up would possibly per chance well very neatly be moved to amber.

Six countries – the Dominican Republic, Eritrea, Haiti, Mongolia, Tunisia and Uganda – are joining the pink list. All changes to the lists will method into pause at 4am on Tuesday 30 June.”

Commenting on the updated green list, Airport Operators Affiliation chief govt Karen Dee mentioned: “Any extension of the green list is welcome, however minute, however we moreover have to be life like: this is just not any longer yet the vital restart the aviation trade wants to be ready to recuperate from the pandemic.

“Whereas this is just not any longer yet the vaccine dividend folks in the UK had hoped for, it is some distance welcome that Authorities intends to exempt totally vaccinated travellers from quarantine.

“We scamper the Authorities to submit particulars on its plans and put into effect them as quickly as imaginable to assign what remains of the summer season.

“In the intervening time, the overly cautious manner continues to have main financial impacts for airports.

“The Authorities ought to recompense aviation for the influence of that manner by means of vital sector-particular support. Unless extra support is set up in set up, many jobs in aviation and travel will continue to be at risk.”

Shai Weiss, chief govt of Virgin Atlantic, mentioned the authorities’s announcement of an expanded travel green list “fails to saunter some distance enough”.

“The Authorities’s possess proof reveals that the US is low risk and ought to be added to the green list now,” he added.

“Even as the transatlantic corridor is closed, 23 million in financial designate day after day is limited. We scamper the UK Authorities to switch the US to the UK’s ‘green list’ and for the Biden administration to repeal the 212F proclamation for UK travellers.

“A success vaccination programmes are key to unlocking global travel.

“The Authorities must now recall away quarantine for totally vaccinated passengers getting back from each ‘amber’ and ‘green’ countries, no later than the domestic reopening on the 19th July. The UK has already fallen in the support of the EU’s reopening and a persevered overly cautious manner will extra influence financial restoration and the 500,000 UK jobs that are at stake.”

Transport secretary Grant Shapps mentioned: “We’re transferring forward with efforts to safely reopen global travel this summer, and thanks to the success of our vaccination programme, we’re now ready to trust laying aside the quarantine duration for totally vaccinated UK arrivals from amber countries – displaying a true label of development.

“It’s upright that we continue with this cautious manner, to give protection to public health and the vaccine rollout as our top precedence, whereas ensuring that our route out of the global travel restrictions is sustainable.”

The Division for Transport mentioned: “In recognition of our successful domestic vaccination programme, and as allotment of the World Travel Taskforce’s checkpoint review, our arrangement is that later in the summertime, arrivals who’re totally vaccinated will no longer have to quarantine when travelling from amber list countries.

“We request this to happen in phases, initiating with UK residents.

“They’ll unexcited be required to recall a pre-departure test and a test on Day 2, and any certain results will be sequenced to continue to handle the risk of importing variants.

“At the the same time, we intend to recall away the guidance that people ought to no longer travel to amber countries. Pending selections on whether underneath-18s ought to automatically be supplied vaccination, we will have the chance to moreover recall scientific advice on whether neatly-liked trying out can provide a stable different to quarantine for kids accompanied by vaccinated adults.

“Extra factor will be space out next month together with the foundations which will apply to kids and those unable to be vaccinated, how we will have the chance to operationalise this method at the border, and the dates on which these changes will method into pause.”

Transport secretary Grant Shapps mentioned later in the summertime the authorities’s arrangement is totally vaccinated UK residents will no longer want to isolate when travelling from amber list countries.

International locations together with Tunisia and Haiti will be set up on the pink list. All these changes will method into pause from Weds 30 June at 4am.

Here is the chubby list:

The UK authorities has supplied Malta is being added to the green list and green scrutinize list from June 30 along with Madeira, the Balearic Islands, quite loads of UK Out of the nation Territories and Caribbean Islands together with Barbados.

Israel and Jerusalem are moreover added to the green watchlist.

Scotland has moved 16 countries in total to the green travel list.

Cabinet Secretary for Receive Zero, Energy and Transport, Michael Matheson, mentioned: “From the outset we now have gotten mentioned warning is required relating to global travel and folks ought to think very quite about travelling in a foreign country as conditions can abruptly trade.

“We continue to work closely with the opposite home countries and are cautiously supportive of exploring alternatives for the easing of restrictions for totally vaccinated travellers getting back from countries on the amber list – however only if the scientific advice supports it and if systems are in set up to construct clear the broader security of the Scottish population.”

The Scottish authorities has supplied that Malta, Madeira, Barbados and the Balearic Islands are among the many countries that will be added to the green list from 30 June.

It mentioned that the final the same countries are being moved round its travel list as those supplied by Northern Ireland in the past hour.

Those being added to the pink list are the Dominican Republic, Eritrea, Haiti, Mongolia, Tunisia and Uganda.