US again not included on the UK green list

On Thursday afternoon, Grant Shapps announced that England has added Malta and several other nations to its green list. These updates also involve changes to the green, amber, and red lists. However, the U.S. remains absent from the country's lowest-risk category, green.

The complete list of green list countries is believed to include: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the Balearic Islands, Barbados, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Madeira, Malta, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, and Turks and Caicos Islands.

Furthermore, Israel has been placed on the green watchlist, indicating it may soon transition to amber.

Additionally, England has added six nations to its red list, which includes Tunisia and Haiti.

Complete list of countries and territories on the UK's green list
Complete list of countries and territories on the UK's amber list
Complete list of countries and territories on the UK's red list

Shapps also stated that starting later this summer, fully vaccinated U.K. residents will not need to quarantine when returning from amber countries. The government will provide more details next month.

Earlier on Thursday, the governments of Northern Ireland and Scotland included 16 new countries and territories to their green list.

Most countries around the world, including the U.S., will stay on the amber list, which requires travelers to quarantine for 10 days upon returning to the U.K. and take two pre-booked COVID-19 tests during their quarantine. Those arriving from amber countries can shorten their quarantine by using England's Test to Release scheme. After completing five full days of quarantine, they can take a third PCR test; if it's negative, they can end their quarantine, but must still take the pre-booked day-eight test.

Red arrivals are subject to the strictest regulations. Only British citizens and third-country nationals with residency rights in the U.K. may enter, but they must pre-book and complete a 10-day quarantine in a government-approved hotel.

The government unveiled its green list for travel on May 7. Since then, there has been just one adjustment, reducing the list from 12 to 11 countries. The latest update saw Portugal shift from green to amber, sparking backlash from the travel industry due to the lack of notice given to travelers and businesses. With Portugal now on the amber list, only two countries remain available for Brits to visit without quarantine on either side of their journey.

Keep in mind that being on the green list doesn't guarantee that British travelers can visit that destination. The country must accept travelers from the U.K., and each will have its own entry rules. Before planning a trip to a green-listed country, verify its entry requirements to confirm it is open to British visitors. For instance, Australia, despite being on the green list, is closed to international travelers and isn't anticipated to reopen until at least 2022.

Here's a reminder of the rules for each traffic light category that travelers must follow upon reentering the U.K., noting that Test to Release applies only to arrivals in England:

Shapps previously mentioned that the government would reassess the traffic light system's country classifications every three weeks. Additionally, a "watch list" will be created to inform travelers about countries that may soon change their status. For instance, a "green watchlist" will indicate which countries are at risk of transitioning from green to amber.