Ministers are understood to be meeting today to discuss ending hotel quarantine for arrivals from countries believed to present the highest risk from COVID-19.
Currently, arrivals from countries on the UK’s red travel list, which includes the Dominican Republic, must spend up to £2,285 per person for 10 nights in a Government-approved hotel.
However, ministers are believed to be in favour of scrapping the red list – which currently consists of just seven countries – since the threat of COVID from overseas has declined.
Instead, arrivals from countries considered high risk will be ordered to self-isolate at home, according to an article in the Telegraph.
The newspaper quoted unnamed sources saying it was ‘almost certain’ they would lift restrictions on countries on the red list, which also includes Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador and Haiti.
But no date for the change was given, and the Telegraph suggested it might not take effect until the New Year.
It quoted a source saying: “There is a strong desire to abolish the red list, but a final decision will be taken on Thursday. It has been very much the expectation with the added pressure of Cop26 [climate change summit, taking place in Glasgow next week].”
The proportion of travellers from red-listed countries testing positive for COVID fell to 0.77% this month, while the percentage of the UK population was 1.14%, according to the Telegraph.
