Families’ holiday joy as double-jabbed parents can take kids abroad from August
Unvaccinated children will be able to travel abroad as early as August according to a new government policy set to be announced within days.
In a huge boost to millions of Brits' summer holiday plans, plans to allow fully vaccinated adults to travel to amber list countries will feature a crucial caveat allowing un-jabbed children to join them without restrictions, The Sun reported.
Health secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News earlier the government was "absolutely working on" new plans to deliver quarantine exemptions to the fully vaccinated – and their unvaccinated children.
Hancock added: "We will get there when it's safe to do so.
"It's something I want to see."
The new policy is thought to allow under-16s to go on holiday with their parents abroad as long as both are fully vaccinated and two weeks has passed.
It is only two weeks after having had both doses that people are considered "fully vaccinated" under EU travel rules.
The policy change is anticipated to come alongside updates to the green, amber and red lists.
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Amber-coded countries which could see flocks of British families arrive later this summer include France, Italy, Spain, Croatia and Greece.
But in the last update to the system earlier this month, no new countries were added to the green list.
In fact, Portugal was taken off it.
Countries thought to have a chance of being added to the coveted green list – which means no quarantine is necessary on return – include Malta, the US, Germany, Poland and Spain's Balearic Islands, including Ibiza and Majorca.
The Spanish islands beloved by Brits have an infection rate of just 19 per 100,000 people.
Tourists returning from amber list countries must quarantine for as many as 10 days or face steep charges to pay for tests, cutting their stint in half.
But under the government's new plans people with both doses of the vaccine – plus their unvaccinated children – will be exempt from the tight existing rules.
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Those unlucky enough to come home from a red list country – which include Egypt, South Africa and Chile – must pay a hefty £1,750 to isolate in an official quarantine hotel.
Hancock has expressed optimism about summer holidays abroad in 2021 but prime minister Boris Johnson has remained sceptical, saying on June 21 it would be "a difficult year for travel".
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New daily coronavirus cases in the UK rose to 11,625 today, the highest since mid-February.
But deaths and hospitalisations remain relatively low, suggesting the vaccines have had a positive impact on the severity of coronavirus infections found across the UK.
Summer holidays could be back on for vaccinated Brits under new government plans
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