The US, Maldives, Israel and Malta could become the first overseas destinations British holidaymakers are allowed to visit this summer under Government plans, it has been reported.
Ministers are discussing allowing travel to the nations under a new traffic light scheme for resuming international travel to countries with high coronavirus vaccination rates, The Times (UK) reports.
It is thought the Prime Minister will not name destinations being considered in the scheme or potential dates of travel.
Countries in the scheme will reportedly be graded red, amber or green, with travel to and from red-list countries banned. People coming back from green-list countries may have to take a coronavirus test 72 hours before they return.
Ministers are thought to have suggested that the ban on foreign holidays was unlikely to be lifted until July, and Britain is unlikely to open for all inbound travel until next year, according to the proposals.
Reports indicate that Boris Johnson is expected to define the criteria that would place countries on the “green” list. The Maldives, Malta and US, which have a vaccination rate of about 44 per 100 people, are among the first countries under consideration to be opened up to travellers first.
The vaccination rate and the levels of “variants of concern” would “play a big part” in a country’s ranking, sources say. According to Government insiders quoted by The Times, countries that had the highest vaccination rates and were not reporting variants of concern would be the first ones Brits would be allowed to travel to.
The Times
