The British government has published a "green list" of travel destinations.

Speaking at a press conference on May 7th, British Transport Minister Grant Shapps said the aforementioned "green list" includes 12 countries and regions, including Portugal, Israel, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, and will officially come into effect on May 17th.

Mr. Shapps emphasized that British authorities are still implementing procedures to ensure safe travel, and people are still required to be tested for COVID-19 before and after arriving at tourist destinations on the "green list".

This is seen as a "probing" step due to lingering concerns about a potential resurgence of COVID-19. Mr. Shapps stressed that the UK government's latest decision is "a necessary precaution." "We have to ensure that the countries we are reconnecting with are now safe."

The UK's new regulations list Türkiye, Maldives, and Nepal on its "red list." This means that people returning to the UK from these countries will have to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days.

According to official statistics released on May 7th, the UK recorded an additional 2,490 new cases, bringing the total number of COVID-19 infections in the country to 4,431,043. In addition, the country also reported 15 more deaths, raising the total number of fatalities from the pandemic to 127,598.

However, these figures only account for deaths that occurred within 28 days of the first positive test result for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

To date, more than 35 million people in the UK have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Huyen Chau