16 August Covid Date "Nailed On" Amid England Travel Relaxation Rumours

British ministers are rumoured to plan a discussion on Wednesday over the self-isolation rules for fully vaccinated travellers arriving to England.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been reported to agree that Britain risks “squandering its vaccine bonus”, referring to the value of the advanced national vaccination programme.

"People can obviously see, when you look at things like travel, like mass events, that it’s going to be one of those things that will help you, not hinder you," Johnson said in a Wednesday interview. 

He added that getting a vaccine is a “very positive thing to do”.

When pressed on the matter of 16 August – when everyone under the age of 18 and all fully vaccinated adults will no longer need to self-isolate if pinged by the Covid-19 app – Johnson said "August the 16th is nailed on", adding: "There’s never been any question of a review date for August the 16th. We will go ahead with the move."

Even though Downing Street hasn’t clarified the process for allowing people to attend events "where large crowds gather", it could be considering the introduction of some form of vaccination passports.

Cabinet Minister Michael Gove has suggested that "some form of certification" was "the right way to go" to stop the spread of coronavirus at "certain venues and certain events".

When asked about restrictions for non-vaccinated adults in terms of their access to venues and even universities, Johnson hasn’t made a clear statement, as of Wednesday.

He however appeared guarded on the matter of acknowledging that Covid-19 still presents a risk.

"The most important thing is for people to recognise that the current situation still calls for a lot of caution and for people just to remember that the virus is still out there. A lot of people have got it and it still presents a significant risk," Johnson said.

Currently, the UK has in place a "traffic light" travel system, according to which countries are divided into three categories based on the risk posed by the incoming travellers.