Thailand, a previous country on the list, has been REMOVED, despite rumours earlier in the day that it wasn’t being removed. This means visitors from the UK can now travel to Thailand without a mandatory quarantine upon return, only having to take a Covid-19 test on the day after their arrival back into the country.
The British government said it is to relax travel rules further next week, a move that will open up many long-distance holiday destinations to travelers for the first time since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic a year and half ago. As well as dramatically whittling down the number of places from which travelers will be required to quarantine in a hotel, the government said it would recognize the vaccination programs of dozens more countries.
The decision means eligible fully vaccinated adults and under 18s entering England from these locations will in effect be treated like fully vaccinated British nationals. They will no longer have to take a pre-departure test, nor a test on the eighth day after arrival and will be spared the period of self-isolation.
According to the UK government, only seven countries will remain on the UK red list from a previous list of 54.The seven countries that will remain on the red list are Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Venezuela.
This will be effective from Monday, October 11th, 2021, according to the UK government.
The announcement was made by UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, who stated the following:
“With half-term and winter sun around the corner, we’re making it easier for families and loved ones to reunite, by significantly cutting the number of destinations on the red list, thanks in part to the increased vaccination efforts around the globe.
“Restoring people’s confidence in travel is key to rebuilding our economy and leveling up this country. With fewer restrictions and more people traveling, we can all continue to move safely forward together along our pathway to recovery.”
