A top Tory has insisted that axing mandatory quarantine for jabbed US and EU arrivals is “sensible” after it emerged that ministers were warned the plan posed a “clear public health risk”.
Dominic Raab said allowing double-jabbed travellers from Europe and the US to avoid self isolation within days was a “modest opening up” and the Government was keeping an eye on new variants.
England’s borders will be reopened to people who have been vaccinated abroad from 4am on Monday, as long as their jabs are recognised by the US and European regulators.
Neither the Chinese Sinopharm nor Russia’s Sputnik vaccines will be allowed.
Currently, the exemption to quarantine rules for arrivals from amber list countries applies only to those who have received both jabs on the NHS.
Senior officials reportedly told the Government’s Covid-O Committee on Wednesday that letting fully vaccinated Europeans in freely could risk lower quality vaccines such as Sinopharm, used in Hungary, undermining the battle against the virus.
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