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UK green list: malta expected to be added
A myriad of European countries, including Malta, Portugal, Iceland and Finland are expected (key word: expected) to be added to the United Kingdom’s ‘green list’, when international leisure travel kick starts on 17 May, 2021. It’s predicted that the rest of Europe will remain on the ‘amber list’ when the UK’s traffic light system goes live.
Paul Charles, the CEO of travel consultancy PC Agency outlined 24 countries that were likely be declared as green, “based on vaccine rates, infection rates, evidence of variants and data quality.”
Charles, whose company was declared as the world’s most influential agency in travel for five years running, said that he expects the British government to announce the full traffic-light lists on 6 or 7 May. Before it is, they will reconfirm that travel can restart on 17 May, a few days later.
The system works similarly to Malta’s in terms of the red, amber and green lists, all of which pack a set of rules, which primarily depend on the risk of importing cases of COVID-19 into the UK. As it stands, all passengers travelling to the country must still present a negative COVID-19 test result, prior to departure. A rapid antigen, lateral flow and PCR are all acceptable.
Those on the ‘green list’ will have the lightest of restrictions. Arrivals into the UK will be required to take one PCR test, within two days of arrival.
Those travelling from ‘amber list’ countries will have to take two PCR tests, one on the second day and one on the eighth. They must also quarantine at home for no less than 10 days. That being said, they can cut the self-isolation short in England, if they opt to pay for another PCR test on day five.
Those travelling from ‘red list’ countries will follow the same regulations that are currently in place. They will be required to pre-book an 11-night stay at a quarantine hotel. They must also take a PCR test on day two, as well as on day eight. The package costs €2,016 per traveller.
