No new countries added to the green list

Hopes of more destinations to be add on the UK first review since international travel was permitted have been dashed as no new countries have been added to the UK’s green travel list and Portugal has moved to amber.

Travellers returning from Portugal will have to quarantine following the review of the government’s travel traffic light system from June 8, 4pm.

Seven countries are also being added to the red list from the amber list. They are: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Costa Rica, Egypt, Sudan, Trinidad and Tobago, and Sri Lanka.

Turkey is still on the red list, while Cyprus remains on the amber list.

Many Brits had hoped with the vaccine campaign pushing ahead, this year they would be able to book their summer holidays.

But as more concern grows with the Indian variant and the Napel mutant spread, the Department for Transport (DfT) said the measures are being implemented “to safeguard public health against variants of concern and protect our vaccine rollout”.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said it was “a difficult decision” and Portugal was downgraded because the government wants to give the UK “the best possible chance of unlocking domestically” on 21 June.