Fully Vaccinated Britons will be Allowed to Travel to 140 Amber List Countries with no Quarantine on Return
July 8, 2021, 2:36 am

Fully Vaccinated Britons will be Allowed to Travel to 140 Amber List Countries with no Quarantine on Return

According to the Sky News, summer holidays are finally set for take-off as the government finally allows fully vaccinated travellers to avoid quarantine rules from later this month.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is making a long-awaited Commons statement tearing up rules that currently force passengers returning from amber list countries to isolate for up to 10 days.

The change, which is expected to come as early as 19 July, will open up Europe's top holiday destinations including France, Spain, Portugal and Italy - and tour operators and airlines are prepared for a surge in demand.

While the removal of quarantine for double-jabbed Britons returning from amber list countries is a boost for families hoping to head for the sun, holidaymakers will have to take PCR tests on day two of their return.

Though the changes will be widely welcomed by those planning a summer getaway, they could add up to £400 to a holiday for a family of four with additional pre-departure tests.

Adults who have not had both jabs will still have to quarantine when the return from an amber list country, or face a fine of up to £10,000 fine.

Skt News reported that ahead of his statement, Mr Shapps told travel industry chiefs: "Day two testing will remain for arrivals from amber countries, regardless of vaccinated status, as this provides genomic sequencing capability to identify the risk of importing variants."

It is also expected that PCR tests for holidaymakers returning from quarantine-free green list countries such as Malta and the Balearic island, will also remain in place for the same reason until at least 31 July, when the traffic light travel system will be reviewed for a second time.

The changes, being signed off by ministers on the cabinet's COVID-O Committee before Mr Shapps' statement, mean double-jabbed Britons will be able to travel to more than 140 countries on the amber list without quarantine on their return.

Most European countries are currently on the amber list, as are the United States, Mexico, Thailand and many Caribbean destinations. Some have restrictions of either quarantine - five days for Italy - or pre-arrival tests.

Countries on the red list - including India, Turkey and Brazil - will be unaffected.

Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, has advised consumers to "lock in deals" before prices go up.

And EasyJet boss Johan Lundgren said: "For too long, Brits have been uncertain of when they can enjoy the same travel freedoms afforded by their jab as those in Europe and this is despite the huge success of our vaccination programme which has now successfully fully vaccinated around two thirds of UK adults.

"News on when quarantine will be removed for the double jabbed travelling from amber countries can't come soon enough."

Source: skynews

Image source: AP-skynews

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”