Holiday rules get tougher for unvaccinated as green and amber lists scrapped
UK’s international rules overhauled to be made easier for travellers
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Your support makes all the difference.Travel rules are getting tougher for anyone who has not had both of their vaccine injections.
In a clampdown on jab refuseniks, the Department for Transport announced that unvaccinated people will now have to self-isolate for 10 days on arrival in England and take two PCR tests, whether they are arriving from a red list country or not.
It was part of an overhaul of the UK’s international rules to make it easier for travellers.
People who are double-vaccinated will no longer have to carry out pre-departure Covid tests before returning to England from non-red list countries. PCR tests for travel will be phased out by the end of October, which will allow travellers to replace the second day test with a cheaper lateral flow test.
The government is opting for a “simplified” system for international travel from 4 October. Instead of the current traffic light system, from this date there will be one red list and simplified measures for the rest of the world.
Eight countries will also be moved from the red list from 4am on Wednesday 22 September, including Turkey, Pakistan and the Maldives.
As with the amber list at the moment, unvaccinated passengers will be able to take a day five “test to release” PCR test to get out of isolation slightly earlier.
See below for how our live coverage unfolded:
Scotland will not drop pre-departure test rule
Passengers flying into Scotland will still need to take a pre-departure test before returning from non-red list destinations.
Scottish ministers say they will not follow England in removing the requirement for people who are fully vaccinated.
In a statement, the Scottish government said: “A UK government decision to implement proposals to remove the requirement for a pre-departure test in England and to use lateral flow tests on day two have not been adopted at this stage in Scotland due to significant concerns at the impact on public health.”
Transport secretary Michael Matheson said the Scottish government “has concerns that the UK government’s proposals to remove the requirement for a pre-departure test for some travellers will weaken our ability to protect the public health of Scotland’s communities”.
He added: “While we want to maintain a four-nations approach to these matters, we need to consider urgently their implications.”
Drop locator forms, says airport chief
Stewart Wingate, Gatwick Airport chief executive, said passenger locator forms should be discarded.
“Fully vaccinated passengers now have a larger choice of destinations and can book with more confidence in the months before Christmas and beyond,” he said.
“We also welcome the news that day two PCR tests will be replaced with the quicker and more affordable lateral flow tests, which will allow us to start catching up with our competitors in Europe and the US - where passenger numbers are already approaching pre-pandemic levels.
“However, we hope that the remaining constraints including the passenger locator form can be removed soon and we continue to call for the slot rules to be reinstated.”
Scepticism over cheaper lateral flow tests
There is some scepticism about allowing vaccinated passengers to replace day two PCR tests with cheaper lateral flow tests, some people pointing out lateral flow tests can be inaccurate, letting people spread Covid.
“The cheaper route isn’t successful if it doesn’t actually work and gives people a false reading,” one Twitter user told Mr Shapps.
Scotland to ditch traffic-light system
Scotland will end its current traffic light system for international travel, but will not follow England in further easing Covid-19 testing for those entering the country, the Scottish government says.
From 4 October, the green and amber lists will merge but the red list will remain.
Current amber list rules - which allow fully vaccinated people to avoid isolating - will be the default for non-red list countries.
Vaccinations that took place in 17 countries including Canada, Australia, Israel, and New Zealand will now be regarded as eligible under the rules, joining jabs in UK, the EU, the USA and the European Free Trade Association.
Eight countries - including Turkey, Pakistan and the Maldives - are also being removed from the red list with effect form 4am on Wednesday.
Travellers from Egypt, Sri Lanka, Oman, Bangladesh and Kenya will also no longer be required to hotel-quarantine from that date.
But Scotland will not follow the UK government’s decision to ease testing rules.
Those arriving north of the border will still be required to take a pre-departure test before returning - including from non-red list destinations - even if they are fully vaccinated.
Travel industry relieved
The travel industry has responded with relief to the easing of the UK’s government rules on international journeys, writes Simon Calder:
Travel industry relief mixed with fury after government eases rules
‘There isn’t a shred of scientific evidence to support keeping South Africa on the red list’ – David Frost, CEO of Satsa, representing Southern Africa’s tourism industry
Which countries are on the green list?
There are 51 countries and territories on a new ‘safe to travel’ list, which will replace the former green and amber lists:
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