Amber list scrapped as Shapps eases international travel rules

The traffic light system for international travel is to be scrapped and the number of countries from which returning travellers will be required to quarantine in a hotel is to be cut, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced.

From Monday October 4, there will be a single red list of countries from where travellers to England must stay in a Government-supervised hotel – with Turkey, Pakistan and the Maldives all removed from the line-up.

People who are fully vaccinated will no longer need a pre-departure test before returning from non-red list destinations, and from later in the month will be able to replace the day two PCR test with a cheaper lateral flow test.

In a series of tweets, Mr Shapps said the new “simplified” system aimed to strike “the right balance to manage the public health risk as No.1 priority”.

The widely expected move comes amid intense pressure from the travel industry to relax restrictions after another summer hit by coronavirus controls.

Published: 17/09/2021 by Radio NewsHub