UK eases quarantine rules, opening up to travel with France

Fully vaccinated visitors arriving in England from France will no longer have to isolate for 10 days, a loosening of restrictions that puts them in the same category as travelers from most other European countries. The UK also eased rules for arrivals from India, Bahrain, and travel hubs the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Those countries will move from the UK’s highest-risk “red” list to its medium-risk “amber” list, meaning arrivals will no longer need to quarantine in a government-approved hotel. Six other European nations, including Germany, were added to the lowest-risk “green” list, meaning all visitors can avoid quarantine whether or not they are fully vaccinated. All changes will come into effect from 4 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 8. Spain and all its islands -- key summer holiday destinations for British tourists -- will remain on the amber list, but travelers are advised to get take a lab-processed PCR test before departing to the UK. The British government was under growing pressure from French ministers, as well as airlines and tourism bodies, to overturn its decision last month to put France in a newly created “amber-plus” category. France was the second most-visited country by Britons before the pandemic, with low-cost carriers including EasyJet offering dozens of flights per week. The surprise amber-plus restriction in July came just as school holidays began in the UK.<br/>