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LONDON, June 22 (Reuters) - Britain is working on easing
travel restrictions for the fully vaccinated to allow people to
enjoy a summer holiday on Europe's beaches but the plans are not
finalised yet, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Tuesday.
Currently British citizens are essentially prevented from
travelling to most countries - including those in the European
Union - as the quarantine and testing rules are so cumbersome
and expensive.
The travel industry has demanded that Britain removes its
COVID testing and isolation requirements for fully vaccinated
travellers, similar to a scheme to the European Union.
Hancock told Sky News that the government did want to let
people have a family holiday, but only when it was safe to do
so.
"We're working on plans to essentially allow the vaccine to
bring back some of the freedoms that have had to be restricted
to keep people safe," Hancock told Sky News.
Asked if vaccinated people get freedoms back by August and
so enjoy a foreign holiday this year, Hancock said the
government wanted to ensure safety but that he understood people
wanted their freedoms back.
"When I'm in a position to be able to say something more
concrete, then we will do, but it is absolutely something we're
working on, it's something I want to see," he added.
Britain has the seventh highest death toll from COVID-19
globally of nearly 128,000 deaths but has one of the fastest
vaccine rollouts in the world, giving 80% of adults a first
COVID-19 vaccine dose and nearly 60% a second shot.
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge, writing by Alistair Smout)