Traffic light holidays plan could see Brits 'swap Spain for Bahrain' this summer

Agencies | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

British holidaymakers could be swapping trips to Spain for exotic getaways in Bahrain under a new traffic light travel system, it has been reported.

Slower vaccination rates in parts of Europe have dampened hopes of sunny holidays on the continent this summer.

But with its rapid jab rate, the Gulf state is likely to get a green light under the travel plans to be revealed next week.

Hotspots for British travellers will be ranked under the new green, amber and red system - with green light destinations those where Covid rates are low and jab rates high.

Amber destinations are likely to require 10 days of self-isolation on return, while red destinations would see travellers needing to fork out over £1,000 for government-appointed hotel quarantine.

urrently, the US, Gulf states and Israel are likely to be classed as green thanks to their jab rollouts, reports the Sun.

Israel leads the world with 110 doses per 100 residents, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 84.1 and Bahrain with 46 per 100.

America has 44.6, Britain 52.4 and Malta is Europe’s second best at 37.

Other destinations such as Malta, Gibraltar, Portugal, Canada and Barbados could all be put into the lowest category because of their plans to vaccinate half the adult population by mid-May.

Three other popular destinations, Spain, Greece and Turkey, would reportedly be on the amber list, which includes quarantine measures.

It is likely that huge popular holiday destinations in France and Italy will be off limits, as both countries battle spiralling Covid cases and deaths amid a third wave.

Mr Johnson has refused to be drawn on whether Covid certificates will be needed domestically - but has already said they'll be needed for foreign trips.

Speaking at a B&Q in Middlesbrough, Mr Johnson said: "There's definitely going to be a world in which international travel will use vaccine passports.

"You can see already that other countries, the aviation industry, are interested in this and there's a logic to that.

"I think when it comes to trying to make sure that we give maximum confidence to businesses and customers in the UK, there are three things - there's immunity whether you have had it before so you have natural antibodies, whether you have been vaccinated, and of course whether you have had a test."