Ministers prepare to add Malta and Ibiza to travel ‘green list’

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France and Germany launched a joint push to make Britons quarantine on arrival in the EU today despite Boris Johnson hailing the ‘real opportunity’ of opening travel to double-jabbed holidaymakers.

The bid to tighten the bloc’s defences against the Indian – or Delta – variant emerged as the UK prepares to add the Balearics and Malta to the ‘green list’list of destinations where people do not have to self-isolate on return. 

Game-changing plans to drop ‘amber list’ restrictions for those who are fully vaccinated are also being considered by ministers this afternoon, and could potentially come into effect as early as next month.

However, even if the rules are loosened it will be of limited use as Britons still face tough curbs imposed by other countries – who are alarmed at the spike in infections caused by the Indian, or Delta, variant.   

Angela Merkel urged all EU states to follow Germany’s lead by requiring travellers from the UK to quarantine.

‘I will lobby for a more co-ordinated approach, particularly with regard to entries from regions where virus variants abound,’ she said at a summit in Brussels today.

French president Emmanuel Macron echoed her hard line, saying: ‘We must all be vigilant because the much-talked-about Delta variant is coming, which spreads much more rapidly than the other variants and affects people who are not vaccinated or who only have had one dose.

‘For me, one of the issues of discussion is to be really taking co-ordinated decisions in terms of opening of borders to third countries and on recognising vaccines because at this stage we have to limit this to the vaccines that have been approved by the European medical authority.’

Environment Secretary George Eustice condemned the Franco-German stance. ‘I’m not sure that such an approach would be justified given the highly advanced stage we are currently at now in terms of vaccination, with 80 per cent having had one jab and now 60 per cent having had the second jab,’ he told LBC radio.

‘I don’t think such a move would be justified but obviously it’s for individual countries to make these judgments.’

On a visit to Aldershot, Mr Johnson dodged directly criticising Mrs Merkel’s comments.   

He said: ‘Let’s see where we get to with all this. I think that the real opportunity we all have now is to open up travel through the double jab.

‘We’ve got more than 60 per cent of our population have now had two jabs, 83 per cent have had one jab, we’re really getting through it now.

‘I’m not going to claim that this summer, for travel purposes, is going to be like any other summer. I don’t want to cast a pall over things but, as I said the other day, it will be different. 

On another tense day of coronavirus developments: 

• Covid-19 case rates in all regions of England are continuing to increase, according to the latest PHE surveillance report, with North-west England spiking to 238.9 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to June 20 compared to 200.3 the previous week; 
• Boris Johnson is struggling to contain an apparent Cabinet split today as ministers openly said they will ditch face masks the moment they are not compulsory – and suggested that should happen on July 19; 
• Inflation is expected to rise above 3 per cent ‘for a temporary period’ this year as Britain’s economic recovery continues at pace, the Bank of England said today; 
•  The first lockdown in March 2020 led to a drop in fertility rates and not the baby boom previously predicted, official figures have shown. 

More than five million Brits visit Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca in a normal year. Scientists have signed off on declaring the Balearics safe enough for the green list, which would be a welcome relief for the travel industry.

However, there are lingering fears that the Government could overrule the advice, as it did when Malta was put forward for approval last month.

If there is agreement, tourists could be able to travel as soon as next Tuesday without isolating for up to 10 days on return.

Turkey is expected to remain on the red list, which could also see the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Uganda added while Israel could move from green to amber.

There are also reports that the number of expensive tests needed by returning holidaymakers will be slashed. 

Tory MP Henry Smith, chairman of the Future of Aviation Group, said: ‘Frankly, these destinations should already be on the green list along with many others.

It is a nonsense that people are not able to travel freely to countries that have lower rates of infection than we do.’ 

Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, said: ‘It’s now or never if we are to have any sort of summer season and the data shows this can be done safely and proportionately with many more countries being added to the list.

‘The future of our aviation industry and the hundreds of thousands of jobs it supports depends on it.’ 

Culture minister John Whittingdale hinted at positive news yesterday, saying: ‘Hopefully it will be possible to increase that number’ of countries on the green list. 

Green list status is only allocated to destinations that can show they have low Covid rates and no significant problems with variants of concern. They also have to show that they can monitor for new variants.

Government scientists advised last month that Malta could be added to the green list, only to be overruled by ministers led by Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

Latest figures suggest infection rates on the island are less than half those in the UK.

Ministers are also close to an agreement on the plan to end quarantine requirements for the fully vaccinated. It is seen as the best chance for saving the travel sector this summer and would require travellers to prove their vaccination status either using the NHS app or with a paper record from their GP.

The Cabinet is split on the timing with some ministers favouring a July 19 start date and others wanting a more cautious approach. The so-called ‘doves’ are believed to include Matt Hancock, Priti Patel and Dominic Raab.

A Government source said August is the most likely date but no final decision has been taken.

However, the impact of the UK’s decisions will be blunted by the draconian restrictions still being imposed by other countries.  

Berlin has banned travellers from Britain entering unless they are a German citizen, have residency rights or if there is an ‘urgent humanitarian reason’ like a family death. 

But those allowed in still have to register to get permission to visit and quarantine for two weeks with no option for early release after a negative test.

It comes after Italy reintroduced quarantine and testing requirements for all UK arrivals amid growing concerns in Europe about the spread of the Indian, or Delta, variant, now dominant in the UK.

Health minister Roberto Speranza said on Friday that Italy will require all travellers from Britain to quarantine for five days upon arrival.

A negative test is required at the end of the five-day period. America currently still bans UK tourists amid the surge in Delta cases. 

Dr Anthony Fauci, the US’s top infectious diseases expert, last week suggested that UK-US travel would only reopen in September as a result. 

Portugal, Spain and Greece are still allowing UK holidaymakers to visit with proof of a negative test and no quarantine. 

France is also allowing in fully vaccinated Britons with a negative test.

But European health officials say further action is needed to curb the spread of the Delta variant as it gains a hold on the Continent. 

This month it accounted for 70 per cent of sequenced cases in the greater Lisbon region of Portugal, more than 20 per cent in Italy and about 16 per cent in Belgium. It has also been detected in clusters in Germany, France and Spain.