RECAP: Transport secretary announces UK travel green list at Downing Street press conference

The transport secretary, Grant Shapps revealed the UK’s traffic light travel lists at the 5pm press briefing today, Friday, May 7 as lockdown restrictions continue to ease.

Many people have been eagerly awaiting an update on the rules for foreign holidays after overseas leisure travel from the UK was banned under coronavirus rules.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that May 17 is the earliest date that overseas leisure travel will be allowed for people in England under his road map for easing restrictions.

Destinations will be categorised as red, amber or green, with different quarantine and testing requirements.

The Government is due to publish the list later today, but there is speculation the green list could include Portugal, Malta, Gibraltar and Israel.

Sunny summer favourites such as Spain, France, Italy and Greece are expected to be on the amber list initially but a “checkpoint” review on June 28 could switch some countries to the green list.

Travellers planning a trip to a green listed country will not need to self-isolate, and will only need one post-arrival test.

But people entering England from an amber country must quarantine at home for at least five days, and take a minimum of two post-arrival tests, while those returning from a red list country must stay in a quarantine hotel for 11 nights at a cost of £1,750.

Destinations are likely to require holidaymakers to show evidence they have received a coronavirus vaccine or taken a recent negative test.

Assessments for the traffic light system will be based on a range of factors, including the proportion of a country’s population that has been vaccinated, rates of infection, emerging new variants, and the country’s access to reliable scientific data and genomic sequencing.

Many popular destinations have expressed their desire for the return of UK holidaymakers this summer – Portugal hopes tourists will return in May, while Spain is planning to reopen for international visitors in June.

Scroll down for live updates on the press briefing:

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