BRITS wanting to go on holiday are waiting to find out which countries will be on the UK's "green" list, allowing quarantine-free travel.
The full list of destinations included in the traffic light scheme is expected to be announced this week, with hopes that some European countries could be deemed low-risk.
Countries will be placed on a green, amber or red list depending on the risk they pose to the UK, as well as the current Covid situation in the country and their own vaccine rollout.
In the case of “green” countries, Brits can travel and return home without having to quarantine but will need to have a negative test to come back into the UK and then take a PCR test within two days of returning.
Brits returning from amber or red list countries will have to quarantine at home or a hotel, respectively.
Portugal is expected to be one of the few European destinations to make the green list due to low Covid cases, with just a few hundred new daily cases.
Last week, they also reported no new daily Covid deaths over 24 hours, the first time since August.
PC Agency's Paul Charles previously tweeted: "Portugal should be green from 17th May."
“No variants, low infection rate, increasing vaccination rollout and good genomic sequencing."
The country has already said they will welcome vaccinated travellers back from mid-May, or travellers with a negative Covid test.
When asked when Portugal will be opening its borders to tourists from the UK, Manuel Lobo Antunes told Sky News: "As soon as possible, this is not just a unilateral matter, we have to coordinate this issue with our British friends and the UK Government.
"But we are hopeful, as we have been saying for these last months, that from the middle of May, regular mobility between the UK and Portugal and vice versa, can be established, that's our hope."
He also said, when asked if Britons who have not been vaccinated can travel into the country: "Yes, that's the idea, that's what we wanted, to as much as possible go back to the regime that existed before the pandemic.
"It's in that direction we are working and that is possible."
The island of Madeira is already welcoming vaccinated tourists back.
Gibraltar, Malta, Israel and Iceland are also contenders for the coveted green status, but holiday favourites France, Greece and Italy are still some weeks away from being approved and are heading for “amber” status it is believed.
Most of Europe is feared to be left off the green list due to rising Covid cases and a slow vaccine rollout.
Thankfully UK holidays can already go ahead to self-catered properties such as campsites and holiday parks, for single-household trips.
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