Traffic light system 'could be ditched to simplify holidays'
Will PayneThe traffic light system could be scrapped next month in favour of rules based on the Covid-19 vaccination status of travellers in a bid to simplify holidays.
According to The Telegraph, the move will likely see the creation of a two-tiered system, with the amber and green lists merged to create a single category, and red to remain in place with travellers still required to quarantine in hotels on returning from high-risk destinations.
It will mean that for fully vaccinated travellers, visiting amber or green countries will be the same, requiring only pre-departure tests and a PCR test within two days of returning to the UK.
The proposed system is only likely to have an impact on those who are not vaccinated.
However, it is unclear whether they would be required to continue to quarantine or face a more intensive testing regime after returning from overseas destinations.
Key figures from UK’s aviation sector recently called on the government to overhaul the traffic light system, or scrap it completely.
According to the paper, a "source briefed on the proposal" said the new rules will be based on "whether you are vaccinated or not, rather than the country you are travelling to".
"What it means is that green and amber disappear and only vaccination status will count for where you travel. For a vaccinated person, just as now all countries apart from red are green," they added.
"For an unvaccinated person, it means that your travel to a green country might be slightly more difficult. There’s a potential psychological boost in that a lot of people think travel to amber is risky whereas if it disappeared, people may be more willing to travel to X, Y or Z."
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