No chance of 'amber watchlist’ for the Canary Islands as idea is scrapped

The UK Government has decided to abandon the idea of introducing an 'amber watchlist’ of countries at risk of moving to red in the travel traffic light system over fears of a backlash. The Canary Islands are currently on the ‘amber’ list and moving to ‘amber plus’ would make It compulsory for Brits to quarantine on their return to the UK. It would also be disastrous for Canary Islands tourism because it would put the archipelago in danger of moving to the ‘red’ list with almost no warning.

The U-turn comes after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he wanted a "simple" and "balanced approach" to pandemic travel. However, Government sources have said no new categories would now be added, as MPs and travel industry figures warned that a system too complex risks putting people off from booking holidays and travelling.

The government had been considering the idea of a new level in their traffic light system for overseas travel, ahead of the next review later this week (Thursday). It would have warned people when a destination was at risk of a sudden shift from amber to red, meaning that travel would be banned for everyone except UK nationals and residents, who would be required to quarantine in a hotel on their return.

As opposition to the proposal gathered, Johnson said he wanted to prevent new coronavirus variants entering the UK, though he recognised the desire to go abroad. "We also have to recognise that people want, badly, to go on their summer holidays, we need to get the travel industry moving again, we need to get our city centres open again, so we want an approach that is as simple as we can possibly make it," he said.

The prime minister added that the UK's economy and society were about "the most open in Europe" but that caution was still needed. The travel industry reacted with relief at the news that the watch-list would not go ahead.

Tim Alderslade, chief executive of the air travel industry body Airlines UK, said: "This is a victory for common sense. The PM has hit the nail on the head, people want a clear and consistent travel system that they can understand and that is workable." He has urged the government to go further and include more countries on the green list, exempting them from quarantine requirements.

Shadow transport secretary, Jim McMahon, has called on the government to publish the data behind its decisions and provide "maximum clarity" to passengers and the travel industry, as clear information about what was happening with infections in each country was needed to build confidence about travel, saying: "To deliver confidence and stability, the traffic light system needs to be red, amber and green, and nothing in between."

The government already has a green watchlist, which features more than half the countries on the green list and signals they are at risk of moving to amber. The next update to the travel list system is due on Thursday.