Despite the majority of Covid-19 restrictions being lifted from July 19, including the requirement for fully vaccinated travellers in England to isolate on their return from an “amber” list destination, Boris Johnson has warned Brits that border restrictions will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
During a Downing Street conference, Johnson told the nation that: “We will keep our tough Covid policy at our borders, with quarantine for travellers from red-list countries.”
When questioned whether there was a possibility that the relaxation of restrictions could be reversed, Mr Johnson confirmed that: “We have to be cautious… We’ll keep all the data under constant review, probably into next year. We must rule nothing out. But at the moment we think if we’re cautious we can continue.”
With Covid-19 here to stay, it is essential that those looking to enjoy a holiday abroad continue to look for a travel insurance policy that offers protection against the varying scenarios that the virus could cause. For example, while those who are fully vaccinated have reduced chances of falling seriously ill from the virus, it doesn’t stop travellers from catching the virus completely and testing positive.
Coronavirus cover massively varies between insurers. However, we have included some of the key elements of cover we believe are worth looking out for in a policy:
- Cover for emergency medical expenses if you should fall ill with Covid-19 while abroad
- Cover for self-isolation costs in the event you test positive for Covid-19 are required to quarantine in your accommodation abroad
- Cover for trip cancellation if you test positive for Covid-19 before your holiday is due to take place
- Cover for trip cancellation if you are told to self-isolate by NHS Track and Trace after coming into close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19
- Cover for accommodation and transportation costs if you fail your pre-departure test before returning to the UK
Remember, the above travel insurance protection is not standard within the market. Therefore, if you require any or all of the above cover, you will need to shop around, check policy wordings, and contact insurers directly to see if they offer any of the above in their policies. Remember, you have 14 days from when you purchase your policy to check it through and then, if the cover doesn’t meet your requirements, you can cancel the policy for a full refund, provided you have not travelled or made a claim on the policy.
