Amber list revised

Not 19 July but 12 July should really be noted as the key date for the lifting of the amber list countries' travel restrictions.

That is the date when the new rules will be confirmed which Transport Secretary of State Grant Shapps announced in Parliament last Thursday (8 July).  Fully vaccinated UK residents arriving in England from the amber travel list destinations will no longer have to quarantine from 19 July.

However, they will still need to pay for Covid-19 tests before and after their return, the Transport Secretary said.

Children under the age of 18 are to be exempt from quarantine on returning to England from amber list countries. Travel industry leaders said the change was a "positive step" but called for the amber list to be expanded.

Mr Shapps said a full vaccination means "14 days have passed since your final dose of the vaccine" – and only vaccines given by the NHS will count.

But he said officials were "working to extend our approach to vaccinated passengers from important markets and holiday destinations, later this summer, such as the United States and the EU."

Northern Ireland plans to adopt the change from 26 July, while both Scotland and Wales have yet to announce their plans.

Under the change, fully-vaccinated people travelling from amber list countries will still be required to take a test three days before they return and on the second day after they are back – but they will now be exempted from a day eight test.

The Government has put online a list of test providers www.find-travel-test-provider.service.gov.uk/test-type and the list of “Traffic Light Countries” is also provided www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.

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