Portugal set to move to amber list in blow to holidaymakers, say reports

Portugal is currently the only mainstream holiday destination on the green list

Portugal, the only mainstream holiday destination on the green list that is currently accessible to Britons, is reportedly set to tumble to the amber list in today’s travel update.

Boris Johnson warned last night that the government “will not hesitate” in moving countries off the green list, if infections start to creep up.

Ministers are reported to have decided early on Thursday to remove Portugal, says the Telegraph.

Follow live: ‘No new countries to go green’, reports say

The move will stymie British holidaymakers who have planned to travel to Portugal or Madeira in the coming weeks.

Any changes will come into effect from 4am on 10 June, and any “amber” arrivals to the UK will be forced to self-isolate at home for 10 days.

Portugal was placed on the green list at the first review on 7 May, and has since seen a bump in tourist numbers when international leisure travel became legal from 17 May. Travel companies including Tui, British Airways and easyJet piled on capacity to key destinations including Lisbon, Porto and Madeira to cope with demand.

However, although the country reported its highest number of infections yesterday since March, it still boasts a low number of cases per 100,000 residents over the last 14 days - one of the key factors in determining countries’ classifications under the traffic light system.

It currently stands at 55.60, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

The final decision will be heavily influenced by scientists from the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC), who are meeting with government to discuss recommendations.

The lists are expected to be updated today, with shuffles between the green, amber and red categories.

Leisure travel is legally permitted to amber destinations, but heavily discouraged by the government. Arrivals from amber destinations have to self-isolate for 10 days upon entering the UK and take two post-arrival PCR tests.