Post-arrival tests must be the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) type which cost about £120, he said. This led to a furious backlash from the travel industry, which wants travellers returning from low-risk countries to be allowed to take the cheaper and quicker lateral flow tests. Asked if people could start to book foreign holidays now, Shapps told Sky News: “I’m not telling people that they shouldn’t book summer holidays now, it’s the first time that I’ve been able to say that for many months.” He said he was looking to “drive down the costs” of tests required for international travel to resume.
International travel could return by mid-May through a new traffic light system THE Government has revealed a traffic light system for foreign travel will be set up, which opens the door for summer holidays abroad later this year. The announcement follows the publication of a report from the Global Travel Taskforce and gives a framework for international travel to resume. However, travel firms have criticised the plan as benefitting the elites and marginalising people on modest incomes. Countries will be rated green, amber or red dependent on risk to travellers and restrictions required on travel, to protect the public and rollout of the Covid vaccine from variants of Covid.
Calls for clarity, cheaper Covid testing and more solutions from the Government have followed the release of its taskforce’s findings into international travel during the pandemic.
The Global Travel Taskforce has stopped short of confirming whether foreign holidays will be permitted from May 17 or which destinations people can visit without self-isolating on their return.
Announcing the group’s findings, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps did confirm a traffic light system would be used to categorise countries based on risk, but the Department for Transport says it will not be until early next month that it will decide “which countries will be on which list”.
Grant Schapps tells people to start to think about booking holidays abroad. (Canva/PA) Grant Shapps has told people to “start to think” about booking their summer holidays abroad. The Transport Secretary said it was the first time in “many months” he was not advising against foreign travel. On Friday Mr Shapps announced a “framework” for the resumption of overseas leisure travel, which included requiring all arrivals to take pre-departure and post-arrival coronavirus tests. Post-arrival tests must be the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) type which cost about £120, he said. This led to a furious backlash from the travel industry, which wants travellers returning from low-risk countries to be allowed to take lateral flow tests, which are cheaper and quicker.
Grant Schapps tells people to start to think about booking holidays abroad. (Canva/PA) Grant Shapps has told people to “start to think” about booking their summer holidays abroad. The Transport Secretary said it was the first time in “many months” he was not advising against foreign travel. On Friday Mr Shapps announced a “framework” for the resumption of overseas leisure travel, which included requiring all arrivals to take pre-departure and post-arrival coronavirus tests. Post-arrival tests must be the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) type which cost about £120, he said. This led to a furious backlash from the travel industry, which wants travellers returning from low-risk countries to be allowed to take lateral flow tests, which are cheaper and quicker.