Red list countries slashed as Turkey, Egypt and The Maldives taken off

Posted on : 09/21/2021
Red list countries slashed as Turkey, Egypt and The Maldives taken off
Travel 

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The red list has been slashed in size in the latest government travel update, with destinations such as Turkey, Egypt and The Maldives have all been removed.

There had been 62 destinations on the red list but that figure will stand at 54 as of 4am on Wednesday (September 22).]

Countries moving off the red list are:

  • Turkey
  • Pakistan
  • The Maldives
  • Egypt
  • Sri Lanka
  • Oman
  • Bangladesh
  • Kenya

This means people returning from theses places will no longer have to stay in hotel quarantine.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps also announced that double-vaccinated passengers arriving from non red-list countries will no longer have to take day 2 PCR tests from a date later in October.

Instead, holidaymakers and travellers will have to take a cheaper lateral flow test instead.

From October 4, fully-jabbed travellers will no longer have to take a pre-departure test at all.

Meanwhile, non-vaccinated arrivals will still have to take a test three days before coming to England, book day 2 and day 8 PCR tests, and fill out a passenger locator form.

Alongside changes to testing, the amber list will be scrapped from October 4 to simplify the advice into "go" and "no go" destinations – with a single red list of countries.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps revealed the plans, which were signed off by Cabinet ministers on Friday morning.

He tweeted: "From Mon 4 Oct, if you’re fully vax you won’t need a pre-departure test before arrival into England from a non-red country and from later in Oct, will be able to replace the day 2 PCR test with a cheaper lateral flow.

"In addition, EIGHT countries and territories will come off the red list from Weds 22 Sept at 4am, incl. TURKEY, PAKISTAN and MALDIVES.

"We’ll also be introducing a new simplified system for international travel from Mon 4 Oct, replacing the current approach with a single red list and simplified measures for the rest of the world – striking the right balance to manage the public health risk as No.1 priority."

Are you likely to travel more after the latest announcement? Let us know in the comments section

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