Which international travel rules have changed?
The latest travel rules announced on Monday have today come into force following a review of the government’s traffic light system.
A number of countries, including Austria, Germany and Norway, have moved onto the green list while France has moved from its own amber plus list to the amber list.
This means that fully vaccinated people travelling to France no longer need to quarantine on their return to the UK.
France was moved onto the ‘amber plus’ list on 16 July amid fears of the prevalent Beta variant on the island of Reunion, cases of which have now fallen.
Among the new red list countries was Mexico, where hundreds of British travellers scrambled to make it back to the UK in time to dodge quarantine rules on 78 hours’ notice.
British Airways added four extra flights from Mexico City and the main resort airport of Cancun. The last flight arrived 80 minutes ahead of the 4am deadline.
Australia struggles to quell Delta outbreaks
Australia’s three most populous states of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland reported a total of 282 Covid-19 new locally acquired infections on Sunday, with authorities struggling to quell outbreaks of the Delta variant.
New South Wales reported 262 fresh cases, down from the pandemic high of 319 seen on Saturday.
More than five million people living along the Sydney coastline are already under a six-week lockdown.
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said: “I urge everybody to please stick to the rules, the health advice, and only leave home if you absolutely have to.”
Ella Glover8 August 2021 09:20
US average 100,000 cases per day
The US is now averaging 100,000 new daily coronavirus infections, returning to a milestone last seen during the winter surge.
In late June, the country was averaging around 11,000 cases a day. Now the number is 107,143.
The latest surge is a reminder of how quickly the delta variant has spread across the country.
Ella Glover8 August 2021 09:02
NHS waiting list in England could top 14 million by next autumn, IFS warns
The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned that waiting lists “could soar to 14 million” by autumn 2022 if its latest analysis is correct.
Max Warner, the author of the analysis, said: “There is a real risk that if the NHS cannot find effective ways to boost its capacity – a challenge at the best of times, let alone after a major pandemic – then much longer waiting lists will be with us for years to come.”
The number of people waiting to start routine hospital treatment currently sits at 5.3 million – a record high.
Ella Glover8 August 2021 08:45
Hundreds of Britons beat Mexico quarantine rules
Hundreds of British travellers scrambled to make it back to the UK in time to dodge quarantine rules after Mexico was moved onto the red list this morning.
Travellers were given 78 hours’ notice to leave the Latin American nation – many of whom had their trip cut short, with some effectively having only a day trip.
British Airways added four extra flights from Mexico City and the main resort airport of Cancun. The last flight arrived 80 minutes ahead of the 4am deadline.
Simon Calder, our travel correspondent, has the full story:
Ella Glover8 August 2021 08:25
‘One rule for them’ says Annalise Dodd regarding Dominic Raab’s decision to flout France quarantine rules
Speaking to the Sunday Mirror, the Labour Party chair criticised Raab for failing to quarantine after a trip to France, despite moving the country onto its own amber plus list less than a fortnight earlier.
She said: “No wonder the Tories don’t understand the chaos they’ve created when ministers don’t apply the rules to themselves.
“Senior Conservatives are taking the public for fools. It’s always one rule for them and another for everyone else.”
Ella Glover8 August 2021 08:10
Foreign Office defends criticism over Dominic Raab’s decision to dodge France quarantine rules
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has today been criticised over his decision to flout his own quarantine rules after visiting France.
Mr Raab moved the country onto the ‘amber plus’ list on 16 July amid fears of the prevalent Beta variant on the island of Reunion, meaning all Brits – including those who had received both vaccine shots – had to quarantine for 10 days upon their return to the UK.
The foreign secretary visited the country 10 days later, dodging the 10-day quarantine on his return. He met with Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta and Princess Anne, and also visited the Oxford AstraZeneca plant just days after his arrival.
“The Foreign Secretary travels on diplomatic business within the rules,” a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesman said in a statement. “It is his job to pursue the UK’s interests abroad, including on security, trade, and international development.”
ella glover8 August 2021 08:10
Latest travel updates come into force
The latest travel rules, following a review of the government’s ‘traffic light system’ on Monday, have today come into force.
These are the latest changes:
- Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Slovakia, Latvia, Romania and Norway moved onto the green list
- France moved from amber-plus to amber, meaning that fully vaccinated Brits no longer need to isolate on their return from the country
- India, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE moved from the red list onto the amber list
- Georgia, Mexico, La Reunion and Mayotte moved onto the red list
Read more about the latest travel rules from our travel editor, Helen Coffey:
Ella Glover8 August 2021 08:09