QUARANTINE free air bridges are to be confirmed within DAYS according to Matt Hancock.
The Health Secretary implied that the finalised list of countries that we can travel to will be published before the original June 29 deadline next week.
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Hancock told today’s coronavirus press conference he’s been “working on [travel corridors/air bridges] over the weekend.”
He said: “We have a formal review date of the quarantine policy at the end of this month on June 29, and we’ll make sure that in good time for that we publish what we plan to do next in terms of where we think – based on the epidemiological advice we’re able to formalise travel corridors.
“I know that people are really looking forward to getting this information, but we’ve got to make sure that we get it right and that work is going on right now.”
“Air bridges” or “travel corridors” are expected to be agreed with a number of countries including Greece, Portugal and Spain, by the end of the month.
The ‘bridges’ would allow Brits to skip quarantine when arriving back in the UK after travelling, as well as any isolation requirements in the selected countries.
The first Britons started arriving in Spain yesterday after Madrid lifted its ban on foreign tourists and opened its beaches in glorious 100 degree-plus heat.
Travel firms have slashed the price of a one-week holiday to £300 after Downing Street signalled ‘travel corridors’ could be introduced to 10 countries from July 4, with no 14-day quarantine on return to the UK.
A small Ryanair fleet is shuttling people to the south of Spain this week.
Seven-night package deals are down 34 percent for Prague, 26 percent fo Zante, 16 percent for Venice, 15 percent for Marrakech, 14 percent for Canary Islands, 13 percent for New York, 12 percent for the Balearic Islands and 10 percent for Turkish resorts.
The Times has reported that the government is close to agreeing a deal with Greece, Portugal and Spain, as well as overseas UK territories including Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands and Gibraltar.
The newspaper revealed that the Foreign Office is also expected to relax its guidance against Brits making any non-essential travel abroad.
June 29 is the date for the Government’s first review of its controversial and deeply unpopular two week quarantine policy, which came into force last week.
If corridors are established it means there would be no need for travellers to quarantine on arrival in the UK.
Mr Hancock said: “That’s the plan.
“The quarantine policy is important because there are some countries around the world where this virus is not under control, however, there’s other countries where it may be safe to be able to not have a quarantine in place.
“So ahead of the formal review of the quarantine arrangements on the 29th of June, I’m working with Grant Shapps on whether there are countries that have a low rate of infection where we can come to an agreement on a travel corridor.”
Travel between the UK and France has also been raised in meetings between the two countries last week.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has also indicated that the Government is “actively working” on introducing travel corridors, to help the struggling tourism industry.
Speaking at last Tuesday’s Downing Street press conference, Mr Johnson said: “Obviously I will be talking to Emmanuel Macron about all sorts of ways in which we can bring our countries together, making sure that eventually we will be able to travel freely to and from each other’s countries.
“The reason for having the quarantine system is very simple – we don’t want to re-import the disease just at the moment when we’ve really got it under control in this country.
“But we’re certainly looking at air bridges and ways to ensure that people can safely go on holiday eventually.”
Most international arrivals into the UK are required to go into self-isolation for 14 days, while in France, a two-week quarantine is currently in place for UK visitors.
Earlier last Tuesday, Mr Shapps told LBC radio: “We won’t be in a position to announce which countries – where reciprocal arrangements go in place – until the 29th.”
All passengers, bar a handful of exemptions, have to fill out an online locator form giving their contact and travel details, as well as the address of where they will isolate.
Mr Shapps said the measure was introduced because “we don’t want to go back to kind of importing (the virus) or Brits going abroad and bringing it back with them”.
A group of more than 500 travel and hospitality businesses campaigning against the policy said last week they had “received private assurances from senior Government sources that travel corridors will be in place from June 29”.
Spain is now asking British tourists to come over after assessing their situation and asking Brits to fill out a health form and take a temperature check at the border.
Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez announced that tourists from many European nations would be welcome from June 21.
A number of other countries on the continent eased their border restrictions on Monday, but many have maintained entry restrictions for UK holidaymakers as we still have one of the highest number of daily cases.
Destinations that do not require UK holidaymakers to enter quarantine include Belgium, Portugal, Italy and Switzerland.
Airline trade body the International Air Transport Association said rapid Covid-19 testing of passengers from countries considered as higher risk could remove the need for “burdensome and intrusive measures such as quarantine”.
