Millions of holidaymakers will still have to quarantine when returning from 'amber list' countries even if they've had both Covid jabs despite today's major update on the rules.
Many were hoping Prime Minister Boris Johnson would scrap the requirement for people who have been double-jabbed.
But in his press conference today on what restrictions would be lifted on July 19 the Prime Minister kept the need for people to isolate when entering the UK from countries on the government's 'amber list'.
This means holidaymakers who were hoping to go away for the summer without having to isolate when they return had their hopes dashed.
However, the Prime Minister said the government will work with the travel industry to lift this requirement and the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps will have more information this week.
He told the Downing Street press conference: "We will maintain our tough border controls including the red list and recognising the protection afforded by two doses of vaccine, we will work with the travel industry for removing the need for fully vaccinated arrivals to isolate on return from an amber country and the Transport Secretary will provide a further update later this week."
The government says it is trying to strike a balance between moving the country out of restrictions while keeping infections and hospitalisations under control.
It comes during a rapid increase in infections across England due to the Delta variant of Covid.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps will give an update on plans to remove the need for fully vaccinated arrivals from amber list countries to isolate in due course.
At a Downing Street press conference, Mr Johnson acknowledged the pandemic was "far from over" with cases rising "fairly rapidly".
"There could be 50,000 cases detected per day by the 19th", he said.
"We are seeing rising hospital admissions and we must reconcile ourselves, sadly, to more deaths from Covid.
"In these circumstances we must take a careful and a balanced decision - and there's only one reason why we contemplate going ahead to Step 4 in circumstances where we would normally be locking down further and that's because of the continuing effectiveness of the vaccine rollout."
He added: "We have to balance the risks. The risks of the disease which the vaccines have reduced but very far from eliminated and the risks of continuing with legally-enforced restrictions that inevitably take their toll on people's lives and livelihoods, on people's health and mental health.
"We must be honest with ourselves that if we can't reopen our society in the next few weeks, when we will be helped by the arrival of summer and by the school holidays, then we must ask ourselves: when will we be able to return to normal?"
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said earlier this week that letting double-vaccinated people skip quarantine was a goal for the government.
He told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "But it is our objective, yes, that those who are double vaccinated should be able to travel to amber list countries as soon as possible, including for holidays."
What happens next?
Under the Prime Minister's plan for Step 4 of the road map:
- There will be no limits on social contact, meaning the end of the orders such as the "rule of six" and restrictions on guests at weddings and mourners at funerals.
- Legal requirement to wear face coverings will be lifted, although guidance will suggest people might choose to do so in "enclosed and crowded places".
- All remaining businesses will be able to reopen, including nightclubs, while capacity caps will be lifted and bars and restaurants will no longer be restricted to table service.
- The government will no longer instruct people to work from home.
- The "one metre plus" rule on social distancing will be lifted except in specific circumstances such as at the border, where guidance will remain to keep passengers from red and amber list countries from mingling with other travellers.
- The limit on named care home visitors will be lifted but infection control measures will remain in place.
- There will be no compulsory use of Covid status certification - so-called domestic vaccine passports - although firms will be able to voluntarily use the system.
- The gap between vaccine doses for under-40s will be reduced from 12 weeks to eight, meaning that all adults will have the opportunity to be double-jabbed by mid-September.
The legal requirement to self-isolate will remain for people who have tested positive or been identified as a contact by NHS Test and Trace.
But Mr Johnson wants contacts who are fully vaccinated to be exempt and the government will set out further details.
