EU tells travellers to come, UK says not so fast

The EU Commission announced today that EU borders will be open to holidaymakers from Britain, America, Israel who have had both their Covid jabs without the need to show a negative test and no need for quarantine. 

“Current restrictions on non-essential travel into the EU to take into account the progress of vaccination campaigns and developments in the epidemiological situation.

“The commission proposes that member states lift restrictions on non-essential travel for vaccinated persons travelling to the EU. This reflects the latest scientific advice showing that vaccination considerably helps to break the transmission chain.

“Member states should allow travel into the EU of those people who have received, at least 14 days before arrival, the last recommended dose of a vaccine having received marketing authorisation in the EU.”

Other countries that have a high vaccination rate will also be invited to visit in time for summer.

Details of a “green list” of countries, where quarantine won’t be required when you return home, is currently being drawn up and will be revealed before May 17.

Yet, in the UK, at a time when the opening of travel would be a much-needed boost for the travel industry, a more cautious approach is being urged. 

The all-party parliamentary group on Covid-19 wants to slow down the resumption of foreign holidays. However, though PM Boris Johnson warned that reopening Britain’s borders too quickly could lead to “an influx of disease” he said some travel will be able to start on May 17.

He said:

“We’ll be saying as much as we can a bit later on. The Joint Biosecurity Committee is having a look at exactly which countries they think are going to be safe. But I do think that it’s important to be cautious in this.

“We do want to do some opening up on May 17 but I don’t think that the people of this country want to see an influx of disease from anywhere else. I certainly don’t and we have got to be very, very tough, and we have got to be as cautious as we can, while we continue to open up.”

Cautious words indeed but on the bright side, he said Britain is on course to end social distancing rules on June 21 because of the success of the vaccine program. People have now been given a total of 50 million vaccinations, while one in four adults have had both vaccinations, and this is twice the European average.

Which countries could make it onto the Green List?

Malta, Jamaica, Portugal, Barbados, Israel, Morocco, Gibraltar, and Grenada are tipped to get onto the green list.

Spain, Turkey, Greece, France Cyprus and Iceland may have to wait a little longer even though they are welcoming Brits already.