Portugal holiday hope as UK set to remove it from ‘red list’ of banned countries today
PORTUGAL could be removed from the UK government's "red-list" later today just time for the summer holidays.
The list of countries which are deemed high-risk are not only on the travel ban list but require all Brits returning to the country to quarantine at a government-mandated hotel, costing £1,750.
🦠 Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates...
The government imposed the ban in a bid to thwart dangerous new variants from entering the country.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is expected to announce that the tourist hotspot will be removed from the “red list” of 33 countries later today.
Portugal was initially placed on the red list due to its links to Brazil, where a worrying new strain has emerged that is believed to render vaccines less effective.
But according to the , Brits returning from Portugal will no longer have to quarantine from Monday - with getaways possible from mid-May.
Laying out his roadmap for lockdown last month, Boris Johnson said the earliest possible date for non-essential travel would be May 17 - the same date that the hospitality industry will reopen indoors.
Portugal, the only European nation on the government’s red list, has said it will open to Brits who have been vaccinated or test negative for Covid from mid-May.
The Portuguese island of Madeira has already removed all travel restrictions when entering the country.
It comes after Greece, Spain and Cyprus signalled they would accept inoculated Brits, paving the way for a busy holiday season.
Henry Smith, the Tory MP who chairs the Future of Aviation Group, told the Telegraph: “This is positive news.
“Portugal is a significant destination for British holidaymakers.”
Earlier this year, Portugal imposed a ban on flights to and from the UK following the discovery of the Kent variant - though this will expire on March 16.
Most read in News Travel
The country has gradually begun to ease restrictions following a dramatic fall in cases, with secondary schools, cinemas, theatres and shopping centres opening on April 19.
And from May 3, the government will allow restaurants to open fully and large indoor and outdoor events to be held - some seven weeks before the UK.
Portugal receives some two million British tourists a year, according to the Telegraph.