Portugal could be on UK ‘green list’ next month as country reports no new Covid deaths for first time since August
PORTUGAL could be added to the UK's green list when it is announced next month, thanks to their falling Covid cases and latest vaccine data.
This means that Brits heading to the country won't have to quarantine when returning to the UK.
The UK government is to announce in the upcoming weeks which countries will be placed on the "green" list of the traffic light scheme.
The scheme, which hopes to allow holidays abroad to go ahead from May 17 with few restrictions, will rank countries depending on the risk they pose to the UK, including their own vaccine rollout and Covid situation.
Not only are cases falling in Portugal - with less than 500 daily new cases on average - but the country has reported no new daily deaths in 24 hours, the first time in nine months.
The vaccine rollout is currently at 24 per cent of the adult population having the first jab, with suggestions that the UK could make countries "green" if they are over 30 per cent.
PC Agency's Paul Charles tweeted: "Portugal should be green from 17th May."
“No variants, low infection rate, increasing vaccination rollout and good genomic sequencing."
"Interestingly just 0.02% of its infections this year have been the Brazil variant. Vast majority were Kent variant."
Portugal was removed from the UK red list back in March, where it was initially placed due to the threat of the Brazil strain due to flight routes between the two countries, but Portugal recently said they want Brits back from May 17.
Only countries on the green list will be able to avoid quarantine - amber and red countries will have to home quarantine or quarantine at a hotel.
It is feared that just eight countries could initially be on the UK's green list, which would include Malta, Gibraltar, Iceland and Israel.
It could also include the US, Australia, and New Zealand - all of which are closed to Brits right now.
Brits who are fully vaccinated could even be using Covid passports to visit France, Italy and Germany by the end of June.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is expected to discuss the plans during the G7 summit in Cornwall on June 11.
Other countries such as Spain and Cyprus have pushed for Covid passports, while Turkey has said they will welcome Brits without them this summer.
Greece recently announced that Brits will only need their NHS vaccination card as proof to enter the country without restrictions.
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Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis told Sun Online Travel the country was happy to accept the paper handwritten card to avoid having to take a pricey PCR test to enter the Med holiday hotspot.
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He said: “Until the UK has a digital passport, we have seen the paper cards that are provided with the two vaccine appointment dates and we are recognising them. They can be used on the ground and at the borders.”
However, as Greece indicated it would happily welcome the paper cards, Portugal’s secretary of state for tourism has rejected the idea, citing fears they could be easily forged.