A traffic light system will allow UK tourists to enter Ibiza this summer
The traffic light system determines what precautions travellers will have to take upon their return to the UK
A traffic light system will allow UK tourists to enter Ibiza this summer.
The UK government is slowly but surely unveiling plans for a return to international travel and part of this will include a traffic light system that will signal how safe a country is to visit and what precautions need to be taken upon arrival back to Britain.
Ibiza is a key dance music destination and the Spanish government have been making plenty of noise about vaccine passports and opening up to tourism as quick as possible.
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Plans for a traffic light system for UK travellers come ahead of an official announcement about international travel by the government this month and ahead of a proposed loosening of travel restrictions on May 17. Ravers looking to spend their summer holiday in Ibiza will be hoping that Spain is on the green list come that date.
Those travelling back from green list countries will have to take a pre-travel Covid test and a PCR test the day after their arrival in the UK. However they won't have to self isolate.
People arriving from amber list countries will have to take a pre-travel Covid test, isolate for 10 days at home and get tested on the second and eighth days after their journey. They will also have an option of "test-and-release" from day five.
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People arriving from red list countries – which is already in place – will have to check into a "quarantine hotel' for 10 days at their own expense.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has refused to promise a return to non-essential international travel from May 17 but confirmation of a traffic light system do signal that the government is seriously considering how to restart international tourism this spring.
It's reported that the traffic light system will be reviewed regularly and will consider Covid infection rates, variants of the virus and individual country's vaccination programmes.
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Cheaper rapid tests than PCR tests are also said to be under consideration and Covid vaccination certificates are currently being developed by the NHS and the government.
Travellers will be able to view each list before embarking on a journey in order to make an informed decision about their trip. However Airport Operators Association chief executive Karen Dee said: “While it is welcome that the new green category does not require quarantine, it is not yet a truly green light to travel. The proposed testing regime will add significant costs that could limit travel possibilities for many and must be regularly reviewed. As it stands, a meaningful restart of aviation is not yet possible under the new system.”