THE Government is expected to unveil its plans for holidays abroad shortly - with some holidaymakers not being required to self-isolate upon their return.

The taskforce responsible for reviewing travel arrangements, including guidance on countries where self-isolation is not required, is set to make an announcement in days.

This morning Liz Truss, Secretary of State for International Trade said the Government is doing "all it can" to make sure the roadmap out of lockdown goes as planned.

According to the Government's roadmap, holidays abroad could be permitted as early as May 17 provided the taskforce review is complete by then.

Speaking to Sky News, she said: “Well we won’t have much longer to wait to get the full announcement from the travel taskforce."

But it has already emerged that the Government are working on a "green to red list" of countries, which they are expected to be revealing shortly.

Darlington and Stockton Times:

Holidaymakers from the region could soon be jetting off without the need to self-isolate upon their return

The green list will see countries where people can travel to without having to quarantine for 14 days - much like a "travel corridor."

It has already been reported that the Government are expected to add fewer than ten countries to the green list in the interim.

Meanwhile, it is thought the Government will reveal an "amber and red list," which will see different rules on quarantine apply.

Already, it is thought British holidaymakers could visit destinations including Italy and France this summer if Covid-19 cases there can be driven down to UK levels.

Professor Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, whose modelling work informs Government scientists, said he had not yet booked a break abroad but the risks were focused on countries with higher infection levels than the UK.

It comes after the European Commission said it would ease restrictions on travel to the bloc amid progressing Covid vaccination campaigns and lower infection rates.

The EU is proposing “to allow entry to the EU for non-essential reasons not only for all persons coming from countries with a good epidemiological situation, but also all people who have received the last recommended dose of an EU-authorised vaccine”.

Prof Ferguson told the BBC: “I think if for instance, by the summer, infection levels in France and Italy are the same sort of level as they are here, then there’s no risk associated with travelling overseas.

“The risk comes from going from a place like the UK with very low infection levels and going to a place with much higher infection levels and therefore having the risk of bringing infection back.

“If the two places are at comparable levels, and that’s what the EU is saying, then there is no particular risks associated with travel.”

He said the risk of vaccines being less effective in the face of variants was “the major concern” that could still lead to a “very major third wave in the autumn” in the UK.

Meanwhile, Portugal’s secretary of state for tourism, Rita Marques, said the country is “taking the lead” at the European Council in negotiations aimed at opening up the European Union to UK holidaymakers.

She told BBC Breakfast: “We are really pushing hard to open up to third countries like the UK.”

Addressing whether people should get their hopes up on holidays abroad, Ms Truss said: “I would suggest that people wait for that announcement. Of course we’re doing all we can to make sure that we follow our road map, that we open up the economy and travel gradually.

“But the really important thing is that we don’t move too fast and jeopardise the progress we’ve made, so people will have to wait a bit longer, I’m afraid, to be able to hear the news on exactly what’s happening on the travel front, but I can assure you the Government’s working very hard.”