Boris Johnson hints at possibility of easing travel restrictions in Britain

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hinted Thursday that restrictions on overseas travel for people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be eased in the UK, despite the current spike in infections.

Currently, travelers coming to the UK from the UK's favorite destinations (Spain, Greece, Italy and France) are required to self-quarantine, and take multiple tests to detect infection at their own expense, which represents hundreds of euros in additional expenses for families and has angered tourism workers.

"I wouldn't say this summer in terms of travel will be like any other," Johnson announced on the sidelines of a visit to Aldershot (southwest).

But he added that there is a "real opportunity to resume travel thanks to the completion of the vaccination process."

Boris Johnson indicated that 83 percent of the adult population in the United Kingdom had received a single dose of the vaccine, and that 60 percent had received both doses.

Despite progress in the vaccination campaign, the UK has been facing a spike in cases for weeks due to the delta mutation that was initially discovered in India, and the country, which recorded more than 128,000 deaths, also recorded more than 16,000 injuries within 24 hours, Wednesday.

These alarming numbers led German Chancellor Angela Merkel to demand Wednesday in the German parliament that the 27 countries of the European Union, of which the United Kingdom is no longer a member, agree to impose a quarantine on British travelers to avoid importing the highly contagious delta mutant to the continent.

"We will continue the dialogue with our European partners regarding the reopening of international flights but we are confident that our vaccination program provides us with a good way forward," a spokesman for Boris Johnson said.

An announcement is expected from the British government in the evening on this subject, in conjunction with updating the list of destinations classified according to the colors of traffic lights.

No major European tourist country is currently on the Green List that allows return to the UK without quarantine.

Spain, Italy, France and Greece are on the orange list, forcing travelers from these countries to spend a quarantine period of ten days and conduct two tests to detect infection at their expense.

As for the red list, it imposes a quarantine in a hotel at the expense of the traveler.