TRAVELLERS entering the UK from 'amber' countries in the European Union – which includes Spain - and from the USA will not have to quarantine if they are fully vaccinated and their destination is England, the British Department for Transport (DfT) has confirmed today.
The announcement comes just nine days after Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said holidaymakers returning home to England from 'amber' territories would be able to avoid the 10-day quarantine upon sight of a vaccine certificate, but that British nationals living in these same countries and visiting friends and family in England would still have to observe the isolation period.
The reason for this was that the UK was only accepting NHS (National Health Service) vaccine proof, and did not recognise the EU's 'Covid passport', even though the same vaccines have been used on both sides of the Channel and despite all EU member States' considering at least the printed version of the NHS certificate to be valid.
This led to an outcry among Brits living in 'amber' countries whose vaccinated compatriots would be able to visit and go home without quarantine, whilst they could not do so if travelling the same route in reverse.
It also, effectively, meant that anyone native to and still living in these countries was forced to quarantine upon entering the UK for a holiday where the only difference between them and British tourists returning home was nationality.
The DfT denied discrimination and cited 'safe movement', but was not willing to comment when challenged on the basis that the only difference between two fully-immunised travellers arriving from identical 'amber' countries and having been vaccinated with the same formula was that one held an EU and the other an NHS vaccine certificate.
Today (Wednesday, July 28), the BBC has revealed that anyone who has had all their jabs, provided these were with a vaccine formula approved by the EU or USA, would not have to quarantine when entering England from an 'amber' country, irrespective of whether they were visiting or whether they were returning to the UK from holiday.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com