Will Spain Go On The Amber Plus List?
Spain could go on ‘amber plus’ travel list forcing holidaymakers to quarantine on return to UK British officials are monitoring the prevalence of the Beta variant of coronavirus across European countries.
Will France be added to the ‘amber PLUS’ list?
Brits looking to travel to Spain anytime soon will not need to self-isolate if they have two jabs, it has been announced. There were fears that the country would be added to what is being called the “amber plus” list after it was announced that visitors to France would have to isolate – even if they had two jabs.
That has led to speculation that others countries could be added such as Spain and Greece due to the increase in coronavirus cases. READ MORE Exactly how hot homes need to be for employees to stop work in UK heatwave However, the Telegraph reports that France was seen as a “one-off” and that the British Government does not plan to add Spain to the amber plus list.
France was forced to be added to the list because of the increase in Beta variant cases which originally came from South Africa. The variant, or B. 351, is said to be more infectious and harder to treat because of the increase in spike proteins. But that does not mean that Spain could be added in the future as the next travel update will take place on August 2, which could see it face the same fate as France.
It comes as the Government has issued advice to Brits ahead of the summer holidays. More than 100 countries and territories have restrictions or requirements on travellers from the UK meaning it could mean you will have to quarantine when you arrive.
It has also advised that Brits keep abreast with regular updates to make sure they don’t get caught short. Jennifer Anderson, Director of Consular of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), said: “The success of our vaccine roll-out means people who have been fully vaccinated in the UK can now travel to amber list countries, without the need for quarantine on their return, with the exception of those r eturning from France.
“But travel this summer is still different from before. It is essential that travellers plan ahead and familiarise themselves with the rules and requirements of the country they plan to visit to minimise disruption and avoid disappointment.
“The first step for anybody thinking of going abroad is to check the FCDO’s Travel Advice and subscribe to updates. We keep it under constant review so it reflects the most up-to-date information. The West Midlands is opening up – get the latest on pubs, restaurants and attractions in our What’s On newsletter .
Will Spain go to Amber plus to combat the delta variant?
Popular holiday destinations including Greece and Spain are likely to stay on the amber list at next week’s traffic light review , in a boost to the holiday plans of hundreds of thousands of travelers this summer. There had been fears that countries with high rates of Covid and high instance rates of the Beta variant, first discovered in South Africa, could follow France on to the amber plus list at the end of next week.
- However, less than two weeks after France became the only nation to be placed on the new amber plus list, mandating self-isolation for all returning travelers regardless of vaccination status, the Government could be about to scrap the unofficial list altogether, according to reports;
Cases of the Beta variant, which were behind the Government’s decision to add France to the amber plus list, have declined rapidly from 14 per cent of infections in the second half of June to just 5 per cent of variants sequenced between 28 June and 12 July.
The Beta variant, which is believed to be better able to evade vaccines, has been outperformed by France’s growing wave of the more contagious Delta variant, first identified in India. Government concerns over France are therefore said to have subsided, according to a source at The Times , who also said that “Spain is unlikely to go to amber plus”.
Concerns over the Balearics, which includes Ibiza and Majorca, Greece and other destinations with rising rates of Covid should also be muted this time around, as the more transmissible Delta variant is expected to outperform Beta across the whole of Europe in the coming months.
Will the Balearics be added to the amber PLUS list?
Broken down by island, the rate is 635 in Mallorca, 932 in Menorca, 998 in Ibiza and 462 in Formentera. The Balearics recently was just added to the amber list once again on July 14 and unless the situation worsens significantly, it is doubtful it will be added to the amber plus list.