The government confirmed that arrivals from France to England will not need to be quarantined if they have been fully vaccinated.As the changes take effect from Sunday, August 8, at 4am, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), India and Qatar will all be moved from the red to the amber lists.Spain is still on the amber travel list. However, the government has updated their travel advice to advise any arrivals from Spain to undergo a PCR Covid test whenever possible to protect themselves against the increasing prevalence of the virus.The green list now includes seven European countries: Austria, Germany (Slovenia), Slovakia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as Norway.Mexico, Georgia, and the French Indian Ocean islands La Reunion, Mayotte and La Reunion have been added to red list in order to protect domestic vaccine rollouts and to guard against variants of concern.Red list countries are still subject to a 10-day hotel quarantine. Updates also indicated that the cost of a stay would increase starting Thursday, August 12. It will rise to 2,285 per adult and 1,430 per adult.This announcement signifies that no country is now on the so called amber-plus List. There was speculation Spain could join France in having a self-isolation requirements for arrivals, and Boris Johnson promising an easy international travel system.According to the government, the reason for removing mainland France from the list is that the number of Beta variant cases in France has fallen.France, like most other countries, is now amber. This means that those who have been fully vaccinated in the UK, US, or Europe don't need to be quarantined upon arrival in England.After the government abandoned its plans to create an amber watchlist earlier in the week, the green watchlist is still in effect.According to the government, all data will be reviewed and will be available for review. It will also take appropriate action if a country's epidemiological picture is changing.It was also stated that UK scientists and clinicians will continue to be in close contact with Spanish counterparts to keep up-to-date on the latest data and pictures of cases in Spain.It is not yet clear if devolved countries will follow the same rules as England.Ministers have made all classification changes. They have been informed of the most recent data and analysis from the Joint Biosecurity Centre, (JBC), and other public health considerations to help the public understand and assess the potential health risks associated with travelling to different destinations. All measures will remain under review.Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary, stated: We are committed in opening up international travel safely and taking advantage of our successes with vaccination programmes, helping to connect families, friends, and businesses around the globe.We must remain cautious but today's changes open up a wide range of holiday destinations around the world, which is great news for the sector as well as the traveling public.Sajid Javid (Health and Social Care Secretary) said: As we learn how to live with the virus, we continue to take steps to safely reopen international flights, based upon the most recent data and expert public-health advice.The vaccines have prevented approximately 60,000 deaths and 22,000,000 infections in England. With over 7/10 adults double-jabbed in the UK, we are building a wall to defend against the disease.Today's announcement not only moves more countries to green but also highlights the need to be cautious. To help ensure the success of our vaccine rollout, additional countries were added to the red roster.John Bevan, divisional senior Vice-President for Gold Medal parent, dnata travel Group, stated that the decision to change the UAE to Amber was good news for both the destination and for other destinations now easily accessible via hub airports.He stated: "The news that the UAE will be turning to amber starting Sunday is amazing to hear. Not only for the thousands of Brits who love visiting the UAE on holidays, but also for those in the large expat community who are desperate to see loved ones back at home.Dubai is a top destination for all of our brands. It has a reputation for outstanding service, amazing hotels, great food, culture, shopping and exceptional value.My airline partners in Dubai and our hotel suppliers have done everything to ensure that traveller safety and comfort is their top priority. They are eager to welcome back British tourists, as are all other tourist-related businesses, so it's great news for them.Bevan said: This allows us to do what has been denied for too many years, which is to sell holidays to the UAE, as well as to other destinations that can be connected through Dubai. These destinations are also amber and green and open to British tourists.We have been waiting for this moment for a while, and now we are ready for what we expect to be a significant increase in late-notice departures starting next week for those who have the necessary travel requirements.According to The Mirror, Portugal will soon lift quarantine requirements for five million Brits who were vaccinated with the Indian-made AstraZeneca vaccine.The country was refusing to recognize Indian doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, but it reported Wednesday: It turned out that the Portuguese government has changed its mind and will now recognise all AstraZeneca dosages along with the Chinese-made vaccine Sinovac.It is believed that the U-turn occurred because Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the Portuguese president, was urged by members of Portugal to act on his Brazil visit.
