Could Portugal squeeze onto the green list?
Credit: Getty
Our summer holiday horizons are set to expand on May 17 when the ban on most overseas trips will be replaced with a “traffic light” system.
Destinations will be categorised as “green” (testing requirements, but no self-isolation), “amber” (testing and up to 10 days of self-isolation at home on return to the UK) and “red” (direct flights banned, returning Britons subject to 10 days quarantine in an approved hotel at a cost of up to £1,750).
Only a handful of countries are expected to be included on the initial green list, which the Government is set to reveal on May 7. Industry analysis suggests Gibraltar, Malta, Israel and Iceland will feature. The inclusion of Portugal and the USA remains possible.
Covid: Some foreign travel opening on 17 May - Boris Johnson
By Francesca Gillett
image captionPeople enjoy La Concha beach in San Sebastián, northern Spain, last month
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has indicated there will be some opening up of foreign travel on 17 May - but said it was important to be cautious.
More details are expected this week to confirm when and how international travel will restart in England.
Speaking on Monday, the PM said we ll be saying more as soon as we can but we have got to be very, very tough .
He also said there was a good chance of the one-metre plus social distancing rule being scrapped on 21 June.
BBC News
By Hazel Shearing
image copyrightGetty Images
There is a good chance the 1m plus social distancing rule can be scrapped on 21 June in England, the prime minister has said.
Boris Johnson said the results of the vaccine rollout are really starting to show up in the epidemiology - but any change would depend on the data.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer agreed that caution was necessary.
During a campaign visit to Hartlepool the prime minister said ministers would say more about travel as soon as we can but we have got to be very, very tough .
He said that the way things are going with the vaccine rollout, the 1m plus rule - which allows people to be 1m apart if they take extra precautions such as wearing face coverings - could end when England reaches the final step of its roadmap out of lockdown.