Transport Secretary Grant Shapps
(Picture: PA Wire)Vaccine passports are likely to be a “permanent fixture” for foreign travel, the transport secretary has said.
Under current restrictions, most people travelling abroad must prove they have been fully vaccinated against Covid to avoid quarantining on return.
Grant Shapps says this requirement is likely to stay for the “foreseeable future”.
He told ITV News: “I do see this becoming a permanent, for the foreseeable future, fixture of international travel.
“I’ve chaired meetings with my transport equivalents [in other countries], when I speak to them it’s quite clear that double vaccination will be a requirement, we’re already seeing it in virtually every country in the world.
“If you haven't got your vaccination yet, please get it, unless you're medically exempt, you will need it in order to be able to travel in the future.”
Many governments around the world require foreigners to be double-jabbed before entering the country.
Mr Shapps was speaking after announcing further changes to the UK’s traffic light system, which saw France move to the amber list from Sunday.
Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Slovakia, Latvia, Romania and Norway joined the green list allowing unrestricted travel.
He said: “My simple message is we want people to be able to go away, enjoy a well earned break and know that this is the system we have in place, bar any unforeseen circumstances, for the rest of August.
“We have certainly lived with coronavirus long enough to know that it can be unpredictable; however, we have also lived with it long enough to get the majority of the population vaccinated, other countries are doing the same thing.
“That does mean that this summer we are able to set out a three-week programme rather than a one-week programme which was the situation last year.
“I hope people will be able to go away under this simplified system, enjoy their breaks and not be looking over their shoulders the whole time, and as long as they follow the processes then they can have a great time and I hope they are able to enjoy their holidays.”
