'Half of the Nation Vaccinated' UK Likely to Resume Overseas Travel Next Month

Possibility of Introducing a 3-Stage Traffic Light System Based on COVID-19 Risk Levels

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] The UK, which is vaccinating against COVID-19 faster than any other country in Europe, is expected to resume overseas travel from mid-next month.

According to AFP on the 5th (local time), the UK government will announce detailed plans for the resumption of overseas travel on the same day.

The UK currently prohibits overseas travel except in exceptional cases, but the government is expected to allow overseas travel starting from the 17th of next month in line with the phased easing of COVID-19 lockdown measures. It is likely that a three-tier traffic light system of green, amber, and red will be introduced based on the COVID-19 risk level.

If traveling to green countries with low virus risk, travelers will need to undergo COVID-19 testing before and after travel. However, if traveling to amber or red countries, travelers must self-isolate upon return. Currently, a mandatory 10-day self-isolation period is required.

The government also plans to introduce a virus certification system from this month to allow spectators to attend public events such as football matches.

So far, more than 31 million people in the UK have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 5 million have completed the second dose. The number of new COVID-19 cases, which once approached 70,000, has decreased to below 5,000 by the end of last month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.