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LONDON, June 24 (Reuters) - Britain wants to allow people to
travel abroad again for a foreign holiday but new variants of
the novel coronavirus are complicating plans to relax its rules,
Environment Secretary George Eustice said.
Asked on Sky News if Brits would be able to enjoy a foreign
holiday on Spanish islands this year amid speculation that
restrictions on travel to Ibiza and Mallorca could be eased,
Eustice said:
"Well, personally I want us to get back to a position where
we can support those who want to travel to do so, nobody likes
the draconian restrictions we've had to put in place over this
last year."
Transport minister Grant Shapps will publish an update on
Thursday showing whether any other countries have been added to
England's green list for safe travel, Eustice said.
Malta and the Portuguese island of Madeira have also been
touted as possible additions to the list.
Currently there are just 11 "green" destinations where
people can go without having to quarantine on their return,
effectively ensuring the travel industry stays shut despite the
easing of lockdown domestically.
Those rules mean there has been no recovery for airlines and
holiday companies which are already on their knees after nearly
18 months of COVID-19 restrictions.
A wider reopening of travel from the UK also faces a new
challenge as European destinations could start to restrict
Britons' entry.
Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday she would like
other European countries to require people entering them from
countries where there are high levels of the Delta variant, like
Britain, to go into quarantine, as is the case in Germany.
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge and Sarah Young; editing by
Kate Holton)