Make up your own mind whether to travel to amber list countries, government minister says

Gillian Keegan says question is a matter of ‘personal responsibility’ after mixed messages from government

People should make up their own mind whether to travel to amber list countries for holidays under Covid-19 regulations, a government minister has said.

Amid confusion about official advice on the issue, Gillian Keegan said whether to follow guidelines or not was a matter of "personal responsibility".

Boris Johnson on Tuesday warned against holidays to amber-listed destinations, while environment secretary George Eustice said people could travel to them to see their families and friends.

There was further confusion after health minister James Bethell described foreign travel as "dangerous" and said that “traveling is not for this year".

But he was again apparently contradicted by Cabinet minister Simon Hart, who rounded off Tuesday's mixed messaging by stating: "Some people might think a holiday is essential. I can think of a quite a lot of people who do think that."

Asked about the advice on Thursday morning skills minister Ms Keegan told Sky News: "The British public have been amazing both in getting the vaccine and, you know, adhering to all the lockdown rules

"But, you know, this first step is the first step in the next stage of the journey. And we think it's the right step."

Asked specifically about the amber list, she added: "This is guidance from the government. You know, we haven't we haven't legislated to ban people from going on holiday.

"And as with many of these things that we've had throughout the pandemic, this has been about really relying on the great British public to be sensible and looking at the guidance that we put in place and taking their own decisions."

But echoing the prime minister’s comments, she cautioned: "We wouldn't advise going on holiday to the amber list countries."

During the pandemic the government has divided countries into red, amber, and green list categories – with a sliding scale of restrictions on each.

Travellers returning from a green country must take a pre-departure Covid-19 test but do not need to quarantine on return.

Amber countries require a quarantine period of 10 days on return with tests on day 2 and day 8, while people returning from countries on the red list are being made to pay for expensive hotel quarantine.

The issue of what travel is permitted has come to the fore in recent days after the government lifted a general restriction on holidays abroad.

Speaking on Tuesday Labour's shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said: "The Conservatives’ border policies have unravelled into dangerous chaos within a matter of hours since international travel was opened up.

"There is a lack of strategy, which has meant the UK Government, and their own ministers, are giving out conflicting and confused advice about whether people are allowed to travel, especially between ‘amber list’ countries.

"Labour has been clear that there should be a pause on international travel, to guard against further importing of dangerous strains, setting back hopes for ending restrictions."