Plans to significantly open up international travel are expected to be announced on Wednesday, with UK ministers poised to let people who have been fully vaccinated in the US and EU avoid quarantine if arriving from amber list countries. The Guardian also understands that ministers will discuss adding Spain to the amber plus list. The US is on the UK’s amber list, meaning all travellers from the country must isolate for 10 days, though they can be released under the “test to release” system after day five. Ministers decided with only a few days’ notice that all those returning home from France who were fully vaccinated would not be exempt from self-isolating, with the Beta variant blamed for the move. Shai Weiss, chief executive of Virgin Atlantic, criticised the UK’s “overly cautious approach” to international travel, saying it would harm the country’s economic recovery and put half a million jobs at risk.

Source: The Guardian July 27, 2021 18:51 UTC