UK/US to discuss resuming travel on Thursday.

I have been watching this closely as I would very much like to visit family in the UK. It's been 2 years since I have seen my twin sister and two older siblings. I really hope they get something figured out soon as I have flights booked for July 15th. I just can't do the 10 days of quarantine and up to 4 covid tests which they currently require. I am fully vaccinated. One covid test before we leave the US and when we return to the US should be sufficient.

Margaret

Sorry, but I don’t think that the U.K. government does want travel to open up, which is why most of Europe is limited to us in one form or another. As can be seen with the U.K. - Portugal, things can get closed down again very quickly.

The U.K. is heading towards local lockdowns again and the “full opening” on 21 June is unlikely to happen due to rising infection rates. Whilst this situation persists, I can’t see borders being opened up (and why would anybody want to come with the welcome they are likely to get?). The cost of getting Covid tested is a deterrent to travel for many here.

Excellent point, Emma.

Others may not be aware that France heightened restrictions for visitors coming from the UK just last week or week before. Another sign to read.

I'll tell you what I think.......I think rather than guessing, I'll just wait for an official announcement.

I'll echo Jennifer's thoughts. It would appear that the UK government doesn't want to encourage travel. The pitiful list of countries on the Green List is probably evidence enough but couple that with the bizarre decision to move Portugal to the Amber List despite an increase in infections of only 1.5% would lend credence to the belief that international travel is not one for the plebs. The cynic might even believe that Portugal was allowed on the list to enable certain members of parliament to attend the Champion's League finals and then, by a streak of good fortune, be afforded the opportunity to partake in a pilot scheme relieving them of the requirement to undergo quarantine.

Biden has made it clear that he would like to see a travel corridor open up between the US and the UK, ideally by the 4th of July. There are a lot of businesses with significant clout and influence that may place sufficient leverage on the UK government to facilitate this.

I'm afraid politics plays a bigger role in the decisions surrounding travel opportunities than sound data.

Possibly extending June 21 “freedom day” by one month. Wimbledon not looking great :(

And, following France, Italy has just made it more difficult for Brits to travel to Italy.

The UK's neighbors are very concerned about the Delta variant, and trying to protect themselves accordingly. Given that UK leaders themselves also delayed by four weeks the last phase of their reopening plans, it seems they are worried too about the direction things are going there.

I don’t see it happening anytime soon without being tested before leaving, Quarantining for 10 days, and having to book and pay for two tests before you leave, being tested on day two after arrival and day 8.

U.K. Government pondering scrapping quarantine for the twice vaccinated in favour of daily tests. Critical word there is ‘pondering’. It doesn’t mean they’ve decided either if it’s the route they’ll go down or when they might do it. I don’t think they are too bothered about this currently while they try to block the advance of the ‘Delta’ variant.

Also, the U.K. has done better than the majority of Europe with vaccinations and they’ll be mindful that other European countries won’t want Brits travelling to them and risk importing the highly transmissible Delta variant while more of their populations are vulnerable, so the ‘testing only for the vaccinated’ policy won’t apply if two way travel is blocked.

As ever, believe it when it’s cast in concrete and even then, look for the drawbacks - like switching Portugal from green to amber when cases there skyrocketed. Leaving a lot of British holidaymakers scrambling to get home before the window closed and/or costing them a small fortune in the process. In my view we need much more extensive global vaccination and numbers down to statistically insignificant before the leashes come off, but as in all things, I stand to be corrected!