Boris Johnson 'won't hesitate' in adding countries to red list

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The Government is expected to give its latest traffic light travel update on either Wednesday or Thursday of this week. Though there has been no clear confirmation as to what changes, if any, are expected.

However, travel expert Paul Charles, CEO of the PC Agency, has warned that holidaymakers in some Caribbean hotspots could soon face hotel quarantine.

According to research by PC Agency, Jamaica, St Lucia and Dominica could be set to join the red list.

This would mean that Britons returning from these countries would be subject to a mandatory hotel quarantine stay lasting for 10 days (11 nights).

Following the last traffic light travel update on August 4, the cost of this stay increased to £2,285.

Along with the Caribbean nations, Mr Charles suggested that African nation Morocco could also be among those heading for the red list.

Mr Charles said: “Significant changes could be some Caribbean islands turning red, and Saudi Arabia turning green as well as Israel going amber.”

However, Covid data specialist Tim White believes the listed nations may not necessarily end up turning red.

In his weekly Sunday round-up of global data, Mr White explained: “St Lucia has today reported 156 new cases of COVID-19.

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“That’s virtually double last week’s 79.

“The infection rate is near all-time high levels, but St Lucia is already amber and no risk of red.”

Mr White described the next few days as “critical” for Jamaica.

Although the country has seen cases “fall by more than a hundred” in the last week, the data specialist said he was not able to predict whether or not this would save the country from the red list.

On Sunday, he said: “Very good news for Jamaica this evening as cases fall by more than a hundred. 551 new COVID-19 infections on the island, down from 656 a week ago. 17 Covid related deaths.

“Regarding red or amber I really don’t want to say but looking more hopeful than five days ago with two falls this week.”

On a similar note, Mr White said that a fall in Morocco’s cases of Covid might have come “too late”.

He said: “A big fall in Morocco, but has it come too late to save the North African country from red?

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“Just 4,661 new cases of COVID-19 compared with 7,380 last Sunday. 115 further deaths from the disease in Morocco.

“However many countries have been added to red after cases started reducing.”

Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps previously said that the Government would review the traffic light system “every three weeks”.

The last announcement was on August 4, which indicates the next one is likely to be on August 25 or 26.

While the announcement is typically made on a Wednesday or Thursday, rules often don’t come into force until the following Sunday.

This would mean any red list changes would likely kick start on Sunday 29 August 2021.

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