Family holidays to Portugal back on as country REVERSES decision to make kids 12 and over quarantine
FAMILY holidays to sunny Portugal are back on after the country REVERSED its decision to make kids 12 and over quarantine.
In a dramatic – and welcome – back flip, officials dropped the requirement for Brits aged under 18 to self-isolate for 14 days.
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Portugal has now changed its quarantine policy for young holidaymakers.
Just yesterday the Sun revealed that families wanting a holiday in Portugal with their kids would face quarantine restrictions due to new rules.
The country had said it wanted all arrivals from the UK to be fully vaccinated, which included kids over the age of 12.
Anyone who hadn’t had both jabs, with the second at least a fortnight before travelling, would have had to quarantine for 14 days on arrival, with the new rules in place until at least July 11.
However, kids are yet to be given the Covid vaccine in the UK, with the youngest allowed to have the jabs being 18 years old.
But in a huge U-turn, officials in Portugal have reversed that rule.
They’ve said that under-18s are exempt when travelling with a fully vaccinated parent or guardian, reports the Daily Mail.
According to Visit Portugal it was announced that:
- Children up to 18 years old do not need to comply with 14 days isolation when accompanying adults who have proof of complete vaccination
- Kids under 12 years old are exempt from Portugal’s testing requirements – so they won’t need to show proof of a negative test
- Children aged between 12 and 18 must comply with testing requirements, and show a negative Covid test
- All airline passengers must complete the Passenger Locator Card (individually), prior to departure to Portugal or on board
However Portugal remains on the UK’s amber list, having been added just weeks after it was initially put onto the green list.
If returning from an amber list country, Brits must take a Covid test before departure and have proof of a negative test.
Travellers must also book a Covid test after they have returned – and quarantine for ten days.
However from August, fully-vaccinated Brits will not have to isolate when they return to the UK from an amber list country.
The Portuguese island of Madeira was added to the UK’s green list, with Brits able to visit from today without having to quarantine on their return.
The island is also not included in the new entry restrictions, so non-vaccinated Brits can visit although will either need a negative test (which can be done at the airport) or proof of antibodies.
Malta has introduced the same restrictions as Portugal, just hours after they were added to the UK’s green list, although will allow non-vaxxed kids under 12 to have a negative Covid test instead.
Visit Malta said: “Children aged 5-11 can travel if they accompany their vaccinated parents/ legal guardian provided they provide a negative nasopharyngeal PCR test carried out within 72 hours before arrival in Malta.
“Children under 5 do not need a test, while those aged 12+ can only travel with a full vaccination certificate.”
Spain, previously the only country with no entry restrictions for Brits, now requires all UK arrivals to be fully vaccinated or have a negative Covid test.
Only the Balearic Islands are currently on the UK green list.
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Meanwhile, the UK and the EU are closing in on a deal to accept each other’s vaccine passports for quarantine-free travel in a major foreign holidays boost.
Negotiators are nearing an agreement to unlock travel despite Angela Merkel’s attempts to ban UK tourists from the continent over Delta variant fears.
It is hoped that double-jabbed Brits could avoid quarantining when returning from amber list countries by August, the Transport Secretary has said.
US holidays are unlikely to return by the end of summer, as the borders remain closed to the UK, despite suggestions of a UK-US travel corridor.
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