UK Covid travel rules could change at short notice, warns minister

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June 25, 2021: The UK transport secretary has refused to say he would book a foreign holiday for himself and his family yet, even as travel restrictions are eased for several destinations.

Grant Shapps warned anyone looking to travel abroad that the rules could change at short notice after Malta, Madeira and the Balearic islands, among others, were added to the list of countries from which travellers could return without having to quarantine. But there was concern across the beleaguered travel sector, with one prominent figure accusing the government of being “overly cautious”.

“People have to make their own decisions … If people are in a situation where they want to run away from next week, these are the places where you can go for vacation purposes,” Shapps said. Of course, be aware of all the warnings about the dangers of changing things because; it happens very regularly. “

And he acknowledged that the ongoing pandemic meant the status of any country could change with no notice, with those on the “green watchlist” most likely to see harsher restrictions reimposed.

“Whoever is booking to go anywhere this summer, travel insurance, making sure your flights are changeable and making sure the accommodation is changeable – all those things are going to be very, very important this year. And I think people need to weigh up whether that is going to work for them or not,” he told Sky News.

Asked if he would rather people simply did not travel abroad at all, therefore, he told BBC Breakfast: “No, that’s not my message at all. I’m transport secretary if people travel domestically in the UK or abroad.

“We must be aware that, when you travel abroad this year, there are complications because of this pandemic that, a couple of years ago, wouldn’t have existed and wouldn’t have been a factor. But it is for individuals to make that decision.”

The holiday company, On the Beach said it would not accept new bookings for July and August, while there is still uncertainty about the countries on the watch list. Criticizing the ministers’ caution, Karen Dee, chief executive of the Airports Operators Association, said: “Any extension of the green list is welcome, however small, but we also have to be realistic: this is not yet the meaningful restart the aviation industry needs to be able to recover from the pandemic.”

It was announced on Thursday evening that Malta will be included in the 14 new countries and territories to be added to the Green List or Green Watch List from next Wednesday at 4:00 AM.

Explaining the difference, Shapps said returnees from any of these countries would not need to be quarantined, provided they tested negative for COVID19 before and after their return. But he said the ministers were more concerned about the countries on the Green Watch list. These included all new destinations except Malta.

The lists are reviewed every three weeks, meaning the next announcement will be on Thursday, July 15.

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