A “TRAFFIC light” system could allow Brits to go on holidays to low risk destinations as soon as this summer.
The scheme being considered by ministers will make it easier for holidaymakers to flock to lower risk “green” areas.
The three-tiered system could see passengers flying to certain countries exempt from pre-departure tests and a mandatory quarantine when they return.
However those looking to get away to higher risk “red” destinations could face tough restrictions such as extra Covid-19 tests and an isolation period.
Thousands of Brits have already booked breaks abroad after Boris Johnson earmarked May 17 as the earliest possible date people could travel internationally in the lockdown roadmap.
The PM’s announcement on lifting UK travel restrictions sparked a stampede for bookings – with Jet2, the UK’s second-largest tour operator, seeing demand rocket by 1,000 per cent.
And Tui, the biggest tour operator in Britain, also reported a 500 per cent increase in bookings to sunshine resorts such as Greece, Spain and Turkey.
The travel industry is insisting overseas trips, not least the family breaks in July and August, can still go ahead if people are prepared for “sun, sea, sand and swab”.
But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has already warned “people shouldn’t be booking holidays”.
Dr Mike Tildesley, an infectious disease expert, added: “I think that international travel this summer is, for the average holidaymaker, sadly I think, extremely unlikely.”
And Professor Andrew Hayward, of the Sage advisory group, said the wave across Europe could last “several months”, adding: “Obviously, it has implications on travels.”
Meanwhile Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said: “The renewed surges of Covid across Europe are worrying.
“We all want international travel to resume, but safety must come first.”
Furthermore, Professor Dirk Brockmann, a leading epidemiologist at the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin, told Times Radio that Brits should not be considering European holidays when lockdown restrictions ease.
It comes as a deadly third wave is sweeping Europe, fuelled by the AstraZeneca vaccine fiasco.
The EU’s shambolic jab rollout, combined with a sharp rise in infections, has seen several areas plunged back into lockdown in the past week.
