Ministers voice frustration at US restrictions on travel from the UK

A minister today voiced frustration after the US said it will not be easing restrictions on travel from the UK quickly.

Policing minister Kit Malthouse admitted it was ‘disappointing’ after the White House said curbs will not be loosened, citing concerns about the Delta variant.

In contrast, the UK is expected to announce that double-jabbed Americans will be able to visit without the need to quarantine. 

Transatlantic travel has been highly restricted since the pandemic erupted, and the US is currently on the ‘amber list’ – meaning that passengers must isolate for up to 10 days on arrival.

However, fully vaccinated Americans are set to be let off the rules from next month as long as they can show the cards they were issued when they received jabs.

The government has made the concession despite concerns that there is no central US system for proving vaccination status, with individual states making their own – typically paper-based – arrangements.   

Most Britons are banned from entering the US if they have been in the UK within the past 14 days. The US announced yesterday that it would not lift any of its present travel restrictions ‘at this point’ because of the Delta variant. 

Asked about the decision, Mr Malthouse told Sky News: ‘Obviously that is for them to assess and we are assessing the likelihood of variants coming in from other countries as well. 

‘So, it doesn’t surprise me that they are doing similar. It is obviously disappointing.’

He added: ‘We want to get back to international travel as soon as possible. I have got lots of family overseas who I would love to go and visit, particularly in Canada.

‘I am afraid that the tail-end of this virus, and lets hope it is the tail-end, we are still coping with some of that uncertainty across the world and people will have to bear that in mind as they decide their travel plans or otherwise.’

Before the G7 summit in Cornwall last month Boris Johnson and Joe Biden launched a task force to find ways of restarting travel links.

Italy, Germany, Canada and Austria could be among 10 countries added to the green list next week in boost to hopes of summer holidays abroad 

Another ten countries including Italy, Germany, Canada and Austria could be added to the green travel list from next week in a boost to summer holiday hopes, a leading travel expert predicted today. 

Paul Charles, CEO of the PC Agency, a travel consultancy, screens destinations for quarantine-free travel based on current infection and vaccination rates, as well as information from ‘official sources from various governments’.

He gave Austria, Bosnia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia and Slovenia as likely greens in the next government review, expected next Wednesday. 

On the green watch list, he placed Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Finland, Egypt, Estonia, French Polynesia, Jamaica, Japan, North Macedonia, Norway, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Sweden.

Mr Charles said: ‘Our analysis shows at least 10 countries will be added to the UK Government green list next week – of course it should be many more. But usual government caution will prevail.’

Other reports last night suggested as many as 77 countries could be rated green, with government scientists said to be reviewing the countries before ministers decide on which to move when changes are announced next week.

Government sources told the Telegraph the number of countries added to the green list may narrow considerably from the 77, but the list offers insight into countries considered ‘possibles’.      

Meanwhile, the newspaper also reported that ministers are preparing to ease travel rules for expats returning to the UK from Sunday.

The government will formally recognise jabs administered overseas from August 1. 

That means that Brits living abroad who are fully vaccinated will be able to avoid a 10 day stay in self-isolation when returning from an amber list country. 

Meanwhile, ministers are also considering plans which would allow double-jabbed foreign nationals to be allowed into the UK without having to quarantine. 

The government is hoping to strike reciprocal deals with dozens of nations to recognise each other’s vaccinations and vaccine apps. 

That could pave the way for the return of much easier travel to and from many popular holiday destinations. 

It will also inevitably spark optimism of a deal being done between the US and the UK as the two sides continue talks on setting up a travel corridor.  

The government currently only recognises NHS administered vaccinations when it comes to international travel rules. 

As a result, British expats who live in amber list nations have faced the barrier of quarantine even when they have had both doses.

Ministers are now reportedly planning to change the rules to allow Brits to register a foreign jab with their GP. 

That should pave the way for double-jabbed people to be able to visit the country without having to self-isolate.

It is also thought that quarantine-free travel to the UK for double-jabbed foreign nationals could be opened up ‘very soon’ as the government continues to seek reciprocal deals with countries which agree to recognise the NHS vaccine app.  

The deals are likely to be based on a mutual recognition of the vaccines used in each country which means the UK is only likely to strike agreements with nations using jabs already approved for use in Britain.  

The current amber list travel rules state that Brits who are ‘fully vaccinated under the UK vaccination programme’ do not have to self-isolate when they return.  

However, people who are not ‘fully UK vaccinated’ do still have to quarantine for 10 days.   

Formally recognising foreign jabs will make it much easier for British expats to return to the UK, with hundreds of thousands based in major EU countries alone.   

It came amid reports that restrictions on travel from France will likely be dropped next week as the government’s traffic light system is reviewed. 

It is thought the country will be taken off the ‘amber-plus’ list as government officials believe the Beta coronavirus variant threat is being contained.

Sources claim the Delta variant prevalent in Britain is spreading faster than the Beta variant in Europe, and would ‘out-compete’ it in the coming weeks, according to The Times.  

At present double-jabbed holidaymakers returning from France must quarantine for up to ten days because it is on the amber-plus list.