By Prime Minister updates on foreign travel and says there is a “real opportunity” to open up foreign travel this summer for those who have had two doses of a coronavirus vaccine.
The industry has been asking for fully-vaccinated people travelling from amber-list countries to be exempt from quarantining – something the government has said it is looking at
Meanwhile, changes to England’s rules on foreign travel are set to be announced later today, including to the green, amber and red travel lists.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has suggested all EU countries should make British travellers quarantine on arrival to slow the spread of the Delta variant
About two million people in England may have had some long-lasting symptoms after having coronavirus – sometimes known as “long Covid” – a survey suggests
Only about a quarter of students in the UK thought they got good value for money from university during the pandemic, according to a poll.
The issues around international travel in Europe are tricky, complex and ever-changing.
In the spring the UK had one of the lowest infection rates in Europe which was perhaps understandable why ministers did not want Brits going abroad where they would be a greater chance of infection.
The rise of the Delta variant means the UK has the highest rate. So in theory a Brit in France, Germany, Spain or Italy is less likely to get infected than they are here.
But that means there is a stronger argument for countries in continental Europe to restrict access for Brits. Indeed, a number of countries have already started requiring those arriving from the UK to isolate.
It means even if ministers in the UK relax travel restrictions travel abroad could still be very difficult.
The push for restrictions against Britons is gathering even more momentum in the EU because of how dominant the Delta variant has become in the UK.
That has yet to happen in continental Europe, mainly because EU countries do not have such close ties to India, where the variant was first identified, but it looks like it will only be a matter of time.
Clusters of the Delta variant have been found across Europe – and with lower levels of vaccine uptake there is understandable concern what that will lead to.
The fact remains holidays in continental Europe is not a decision that rests entirely in the hands of ministers here.
