Grant Shapps warns travellers to hold off on booking travel tests

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The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office are lifting their advice against “all but essential travel” for a further 51 countries and territories. A total of 47 countries including South Africa, Mexico and Thailand will be removed from the red list on Monday, it was confirmed this week. Travellers arriving from those destinations will no longer need to spend 11 nights in a quarantine hotel at a cost of £2,285 for solo travellers.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “These updates make travel abroad easier – boosting trade, tourism and reuniting friends and families. I am delighted that the safe reopening of travel allows people to exercise personal responsibility and visit more destinations across the globe.”

Just seven countries will remain on the red list following the changes: Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Peru and Venezuela.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “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 levelling up this country. With less restrictions and more people travelling, we can all continue to move safely forward together along our pathway to recovery.”

Following Mr Shapps’ announcement yesterday, 47 countries will be removed from the red list on Monday 11, October including tourist hotspots Brazil, Thailand, South Africa and Indonesia.

An earlier statement from the Foreign. Commonwealth and Development Office said: “The FCDO will no longer advise against travel to non-red list countries on COVID-19 grounds, except in exceptional circumstances such as if the local healthcare system is overwhelmed.

“Many travel insurance companies use FCDO travel advice as a reference point in their policies – typically excluding cover for places where government advises against essential travel, however people will now be able to purchase travel insurance for a wider range of destinations across the globe.

“Advice has been lifted in light of the improved public health in many countries and territories, better understanding of the virus and the decreased risk to British nationals as a result of the vaccine roll out.”

FCDO will lift its advisory against all but essential travel to:

Bahamas, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Jamaica, Martinique, Palau, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Western Sahara on Friday 8 October.

Angola, Argentina, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Cape Verde, Chile, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Georgia, Guyana, Indonesia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mexico, Mongolia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Myanmar (Burma), Namibia, Nepal, Paraguay, Philippines, Reunion, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Zambia, Zimbabwe on Monday 11 October.

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