As Government announced its new approach to overseas travel we attended a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) round table for participants in the travel sector to find out more.
The ‘traffic light’ system has been discarded and now the Department for Transport (DFT) lists countries as Red or not. FCDO advice does not necessarily reflect the DFT assessment of a location because FCDO consider the potential of harm to a visitor while in that country while DFT consider the risk to England caused by someone returning from a country.
Currently, FCDO advise against all but essential travel to around 70 countries for Covid reasons. 54 countries are on the DFT Red List and 50 countries do not require the double vaccinated to quarantine on return. It is Governments aim is to reduce the Red List and increase the vaccination exempt list.
In addition FCDO’s recommendation may not always align with the DFT list as the FCDO also intend to monitor the extent to which healthcare ( state and private and medevac) provision is in a country is showing a significant degradation because of Covid. This could pose a risk to travellers who may become ill or injured and need hospital treatment so warrants an advisory against travel.
When a country is removed from the Red List, FCDO will undertake due diligence to check if there is a reduction in potential harm to travelers before changing their own advise.
Read more here.