European Union governments agreed this morning to add Japan to their small list of countries from which they will allow non-essential travel, while holding off until at least mid-June for British tourists, EU sources said.
Ambassadors from the EU's 27 countries approved the addition of Japan at a meeting on Wednesday, with the change to take effect in the coming days.
EU countries are recommended gradually to lift travel restrictions for the current seven countries on the list - Australia, Israel, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.
Individual EU countries can still opt to demand a negative COVID-19 test or a period of quarantine.
The EU last month eased criteria for adding new countries to the list, by changing to 75 from 25 the maximum number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in the previous 14 days.
Britain met that revised target but was left off the list because of an increase in COVID-19 cases arising from an infectious coronavirus variant first identified in India.
Britain recorded no COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday, for the first time since March 2020, but cases of the Indian variant doubled last week and the government has said it is too early to say whether Britain can fully drop restrictions on June 21.
EU diplomats said Britain could be added to the list, depending on the course of the variant, in mid-June, when a larger group of countries are expected to be considered.
The list is designed to eliminate inconsistency of travel restrictions across the bloc.
France and Germany have imposed quarantines on UK visitors and Austria banned British tourists, while Portugal and Spain now welcome them.
Meanwhile, Britain advises against travel to all EU countries except Portugal and only exempts people coming from Portugal from a requirement to quarantine.
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Tom you mention They spread it, who is they exactly? Given the amount vaccinated in the UK now. If going to be flippant why would people want to return to the Islands? Plenty of other countries we can take our hard earned cash too afterall that are making brits feel more welcome than some countries I could mention. Sad to say but after 15 years of vacations twice yearly in Majorca with my family it may be time to travel elsewhere as it seems people like us are no longer wanted there 🙄
The UK desdain the Balearics and Canaries.
I think an EU list is a good idea. With each member being obliged to comply. Spain has allowed Brits intio the country, - even with no tests, and just 15% of us vaccinated, simply for its economy in the short term, because of its short remaining summer season. This may be beneficial to them for three months, but risks the spread of the virus back to the UK, as Boris fears. So if the list makes Spain more responsible for peoples health, it snubs them more than Britain. Actually there should only have been Red and Green on the UK list in the first place, the Amber status has caused most of the problems, with confusion, false predections, and now confinement-dodging enforcement.
You really think your going to avoid the so called Indian variant I don’t think so it was just a matter of time before they spread it