The Covid travel red list maintained by the UK government has been updated, and all remaining countries have been removed. Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela were removed from the list at 4 a.m. on November 1.
This implies that fully vaccinated travellers returning to the UK will no longer be required to stay in a quarantined accommodation. The red list system, on the other hand, will stay in place, and the Department of Transportation will review it every three weeks, with countries potentially being added back to it if cases rise there.
Quarantine hotels will begin to empty over the next two weeks. However, several hotel rooms remain on standby to respond promptly to an increased risk from abroad and reinstate Managed Quarantine Service for red list travellers.
“This is another step in the right direction for international travel with more good news today for passengers, businesses and the travel sector. We’re continuing to make great progress as we recover from the pandemic and today is another example of how far we have come,” said Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.
“Whether it’s reuniting family members or making it easier for businesses to trade, the success of the vaccine rollout both at home and abroad has allowed us to reach this milestone.
“However, we must not be complacent and remain ready to spring into action and defend our hard-won gains if needed.”
Sajid Javid, the Health and Social Care Secretary, said: “I am glad we are able to reduce the travel list even further, giving a huge boost to businesses, families and friends wanting to travel.
“The red list and quarantine remain vital in protecting our borders – we are keeping a small number of quarantine rooms on standby and will not hesitate to take swift action by adding countries to the red list if the risk increases again.”
From November 1, qualified travellers with proof of vaccination from more than 30 countries and territories, including Argentina, Tanzania, and Cambodia, will be able to travel to the UK under the fully vaccinated criteria. The total number of countries and territories covered by the inbound vaccination policy now exceeds 135 countries and territories.
Last month, it was also announced that eligible fully vaccinated passengers and most under 18s entering in the UK from non-red list countries can now utilise a cheaper post-arrival lateral flow test, with a free confirmatory PCR test if the result is positive.
People over the age of 18 who have not been fully vaccinated or who are arriving from a country that is not on the approved vaccination list must self-isolate at home for 10 days after arriving in the UK – and pay for a PCR or lateral flow test three days before their trip and two tests after their return.
– India’s new age travel digital media
