* Telegraph says 75 countries on list
* PM's spokesman says details to come this week
* Government has been grappling with lifting quarantine
(Add spokesman's comments)
LONDON, July 2 (Reuters) - The British government will
effectively ditch its air bridge plans and simply end
coronavirus quarantine rules for those arriving from 75
countries so that people can go on holiday, the Telegraph
newspaper reported.
It said the UK would shortly lift a ban on non-essential
travel to nearly all EU destinations, the British territories
including Bermuda and Gibraltar, and Turkey, Thailand, Australia
and New Zealand.
Asked about the report, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris
Johnson said: "As we set out earlier this week ... we will be
easing health measures at the border by allowing passengers
arriving from specific countries and territories to be exempted
from self-isolation requirements."
He said the next steps in the policy would be set out this
week.
Johnson's government has been grappling with how to open up
international travel after it imposed a 2-week quarantine for
arrivals, which has added to the woes of the tourism and travel
industry.
It first discussed creating air bridges or travel corridors
with countries popular with British tourists, but now seems to
be favouring lifting the measures for certain countries.
Last Friday, Britain said it would ditch the 14-day
quarantine period for people arriving from countries such as
France, Greece and Spain.
Simon Clarke, a junior housing, communities and local
government minister, said the government wanted to get the
tourism sector back on its feet.
"We will provide this announcement as soon as it is safe,"
Clarke told Sky. "Clearly we want to get the tourism sector back
on its feet as quickly as we can and I'm sure that we will be
able to give good news in the near future."
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge, Kate Holton and Elizabeth
Piper; editing by Michael Holden)