U.S. might be added to the UK "red list"

Yeah. No thank you.

But "thank you" CamKate for the update. It will be interesting to see what happens from May onward.

I wonder if vaccination status will play into this at all?

The only way vaccination status will factor is that if more people are vaccinated, transmission will hopefully reduce across countries. Just because an individual has been vaccinated doesn’t mean borders are going to open to them, for the reasons that Emma has outlined.

Health Secretary Hancock has said that in future, some countries will require proof of vaccination to allow entry and the government "obviously want to make sure that Brits can fulfill that".

https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-55718553

Pfizer’s vaccine appears to reduce coronavirus transmission
Vaccinated people tend to carry less virus in their bodies than unvaccinated people, studies show. The new finding that vaccines may curb coronavirus spread comes from vaccination and infection data from Israel. After a clinical trial showed that Pfizer’s vaccine had 95 percent efficacy to prevent COVID-19 symptoms.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/coronavirus-covid-19-pfizer-vaccine-may-reduce-transmission

Reds were undesirables a hundred years ago, and now different Reds are a concern. Maybe those nowadays will be easier to identify, but it would be great if conditions allow traveling, and healthy conditions all around, before too long.

Results that show the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine might reduce the spread of coronavirus have been hailed as "absolutely superb" by the health secretary.

Matt Hancock said the study shows "vaccines are the way out of this pandemic".

It is the first time a vaccine has been shown to reduce transmission of the virus.

The UK has given a first Covid jab to more than 10 million people so far.

The results of the study, which has not yet been formally published, suggest that the vaccine may have a "substantial" effect on transmission of the virus.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-55913913

Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine cuts COVID transmission: Study
The vaccine may reduce transmission of the coronavirus by up to two-thirds and prevent severe disease, research suggests.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/3/oxford-astrazeneca-jab-cuts-covid-transmission-new-study-shows

I was afraid the US would eventually make it to the list of countries having to quarantine upon arrival. Another reason for me to cancel my June UK trip to visit family.

The UK has given a first Covid jab to more than 10 million people so far.

updated numbers are higher

16,423,082

I'm staggered the US is not on the UK's 'red list' and the UAE is. The UAE has vaccinated over half its population and the prevelance in the UAE and death rate per capita is a lot lower than the US as well as the testing being significantly higher as well. I'm struggling with the logic here.

I couldn't find a reference for the criteria used to determine what countries should be on the red list. But there was one mention in a Daily Mail article (re: US might be put on list) that says:

It comes after an analysis carried out by the World Health Organization found dozens of countries where the highly infectious South African and Brazilian variants had been found were not on the Government's high-risk list.. . . . "

I am the proud owner of 2 expensive tickets to the Chelsea Flower Show. Usually held in May this was the first time in 108 years, I think, that they have had to reschedule it. Now it is late Sept. All my hotel booking plans and flights are on hold right now. Hesitate to book as we may not get refunds if we can't get into London! Just waiting.....