South Yorkshire holidaymakers await news on international travel

An announcement's expected today on quarantine requirements for each country

Author: Ben BasonPublished 7th May 2021

South Yorkshire holidaymakers eager to get abroad should find out more later about international travel this summer

The government's expected to reveal which countries will fall into which levels of the traffic light system when it becomes legal to go overseas on 17th May.

For the highest risk destinations travellers will need to pay to self-isolate in a hotel when they get back.

Sheffield dad Lee Peach has a family holiday to Greece booked for July - he's awaiting news on whether it'll be on the green, amber or red list:

"At the beginning of the year I wasn't very confident about it going ahead but I think with the speed of the vaccine programme I'm 90% confident that come July I'll be off to the airport fingers crossed.

"The uncertainty for me at the minute is just, will Greece be in the Green Zone, and then what the implications are of that. Does it require everybody to have both vaccines? Is there going to be a lot of testing - do we have to have a test when we get there and when we get back?

"It's all up in the air at the minute and I just hope that they give us the answers we need pretty quick."

The three levels of quarantine are:

Green

You'll need a pre-departure test on the way back as well as a PCR test on or before day 2 of your arrival back into England - but no need to quarantine on return (unless you test positive).

Amber

You'll need to quarantine for 10 days, take a pre-departure test on the way back, and a PCR test on day 2 and day 8 with the option for Test to Release on day 5 to end self-isolation early.

Red

You'll be subject to restrictions currently in place for ‘red list’ countries including a 10-day stay in a managed quarantine hotel, pre-departure testing and PCR testing on day 2 and 8.

Lee's hoping Greece will be Green or Amber:

"If we do have to self-isolate when we get back that's not going to be a problem - my wife works in a school so she'll be off on holiday anyway and I can work at home.

"The only time it would be an issue is if Greece ended up in the Red Zone. We just wouldn't be able to afford the cost of a hotel the government's set up."

The government's Covid-19 global Travel Taskforce, chaired by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Health Secretary Matt Hancock, is expected to announce the traffic light system at some point later today.

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