Health Minister calls for people to holiday at home

International travel re-started in May but strict rules are in place to reduce the risk of coronavirus – and new variants of the virus – entering the UK. This means travel will be very different than it was pre-pandemic.

Wales is following the same traffic-light approach as the rest of the UK for international travel. Countries are classified as green, amber and red depending on their public health status and vaccine rates. Only a handful of destinations have green status.

Health Minister Eluned Morgan said:

“This is the year to enjoy everything that Wales has to offer – including the weather – and holiday at home.

“We are encouraging everyone to only travel overseas for essential reasons. We have all worked so hard over the winter months to bring coronavirus under control in Wales, we don’t want to see new cases and new variants come into the country through overseas travel.

“We have a world-class vaccination programme and more than eight out of 10 adults have had their first dose but we cannot be complacent.

“Now more than ever we need to work together to keep Wales safe, control the spread of coronavirus, especially the new delta variant and protect the gains we have made.”

In line with the other UK nations, anyone travelling abroad this summer may have to pay for testing, quarantine at home or in a designated hotel outside Wales or show proof of full vaccination status, depending on where they are travelling to or returning from.

People arriving from red list countries must quarantine for 10 days in a designated facility, with mandatory PCR testing on days two and eight, at their own expense, or face a £10,000 fine.

People returning from amber countries must quarantine at home for 10 days and pay for mandatory PCR tests on days two and eight of the quarantine period.

Anyone returning from green countries will not need to quarantine but they must take and pay for a PCR test on or before day two. Travellers arriving from both amber and green list countries will be contacted regularly and offered support to help them comply with the testing and isolation requirement, including doorstep visits.

Ms Morgan continued:

“The steps we are asking travellers to take will help to protect all our health by preventing coronavirus and any new variants coming back into the country.

“These are necessary measures but they are not fool proof – we can put measures in place to reduce the risks associated with international travel but they don’t disappear.

“If you don’t need to travel, it’s better to stay at home.”