Summer Holidays are now becoming a much anticipated possibility, as the government ease the rules surrounding quarantines for travellers from England.
From 10 July, travellers certain countries, listed on the government website, will not be required to isolate upon arrival in England.
Popular holiday destinations for the Brits, such as Greece, Spain, Turkey, Cyprus, France, and Belgium are all on the list, giving good news to many who still have holidays booked.
Some long-haul locations are also opening up, Australia, Barbados, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, and Vietnam amongst them.
Some countries will still require travellers to quarantine themselves upon arrival, but those returning to the UK will not have to do the same, unless they’ve travelled through a country that is not exempt.
Contact information for those arriving in England will still be taken though, should there be an outbreak.
Brits visiting the Azores or Madeira in Portugal will not be required to quarantine on their return, but will need to if they visit anywhere else in the country.
Portugal’s Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva told BBC Radio 4 “We are very disappointed with the decision of the British authorities. We think it is senseless and unfair.
“It is quite absurd the UK has seven times more cases of Covid-19 than Portugal so we think this is not the way in which allies and friends are treated.”
Information regarding travel into Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland is yet to come, with Nicola Sturgeon calling Englands lift of restrictions “shambolic decision making”.
Explaining the governments decision at the Downing Street press briefing, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said “Instead of quarantining arrivals from the whole world, we will only quarantine arrivals from those countries where the virus is sadly not under control.”
The majority of holiday destinations now visitable abroad have reopened, keeping people safe by social distancing, limiting the amount of people allowed anywhere at any one time, and keeping strict rules around masks, hand washing, and other measures to reduce the spread of the virus.