British Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveils new rules for international travel and a controversial health passport project on Monday, with a view to a gradual return to normalcy after months of restrictions in the United Kingdom.
The conservative leader is in favor of prudence for fear of ruining the success of a massive anticovid vaccination campaign in which the country, the worst hit in Europe with almost 127,000 deaths, has pinned all its hopes.
“We have made enormous progress in recent months with our vaccination program and everyone in the country has made great sacrifices so that we can reach this stage of our convalescence from covid-19,” he said in a statement.
“We do our best to allow the reopening of our country … in the safest way possible,” he added.
For the British, who after having to stay at home want to go on vacation abroad this summer, something prohibited until at least May 17, will present a traffic light that classifies countries according to vaccination progress, their infection rate or the presence of virus variants.
The aim is not to jeopardize the campaign that has vaccinated some 5.4 million people and administered more than 31.5 million first doses in the United Kingdom, that is, almost half of the total population, since December. .
Covid Passport
Green destinations (meet the requirements) will be exempt from quarantine upon return, although travelers will have to undergo a test before leaving and after arriving, unlike orange and red countries.
Of all, Downing Street considers it premature to draw up a list of countries and continues to discourage bookings abroad.
Currently, all travelers arriving in the UK are required to quarantine for ten days in a hotel if they come from risk countries, and the borders are closed to non-residents who come from a country on the red list.
To keep the virus under control, the government also plans to test a health passport system for large gatherings in England, such as football matches and indoor events.
This certificate would inform that the person is vaccinated, is negative for the coronavirus or has antibodies. It would not be required in public transport or in essential shops, which are scheduled to reopen on April 12, like the terraces of pubs.
Pilot tests will take place in mid-April, mainly in the English Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
But this health passport project is causing discomfort and more than 70 British MPs from across the political spectrum oppose it as “discriminatory”, which could topple it if it were to vote in Parliament.
Finally, to facilitate the reopening and “break the chains of contagion”, the inhabitants of England will be able to undergo two rapid detection tests per week from Friday.