Your rights and your flights... the new rules: Why has Portugal suddenly been put on the amber list, will it stay there all summer and should you cancel your trip to the Algarve?

 Why has Portugal suddenly been put on the amber list?

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said it was due to rising cases and a Covid mutation detected in the country. 

But Algarve MP Cristovao Norte said he was 'perplexed' and that beyond a spike in Lisbon, its transmission rate was 'more or less' the same as the UK's.Will it stay amber all summer?

Not necessarily. If infection rates decline and mutations are kept under control, it could turn green again.

I've booked for the Algarve in July. Should I cancel?

If you cannot self-isolate for ten days on your return, perhaps for work, it may be prudent to cancel. 

But those who are able to work from home while self-isolating may wish to wait until the Government reviews its travel traffic lights system on June 24.

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Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said Portugal (pictured: Algarve) has been put on the amber list due to rising cases and a Covid mutation detected in the country 

If I go to amber-listed Greece next month, what tests will I require and am I still insured?

You will be required to provide proof of a negative PCR test on arrival, taken within 72 hours of travel – or proof you have two Covid jabs. 

Within 72 hours of returning, you will need to take an antigen/lateral flow test. 

On return you must quarantine for ten days and take a PCR test on days two and eight. 

You can shorten the isolation period by paying for another test on day five. 

But you would still be required to take the day eight test. Travel insurance should cover you for an amber country but check with your policy issuer.If a country is on the amber list, will my travel company refund me?

No. It is within its rights to continue with the holiday as the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has not said amber countries are a 'no go'. 

But tour operators, such as Tui, are allowing customers to postpone their holidays at no extra charge.

I urgently need to go to red-listed Sri Lanka to see a sick relative. Can I go?

Yes, but you need to quarantine for 14 days on arrival and on return you need to isolate at a Government-approved hotel for ten days at a cost of £1,750.

If half of all UK adults have had both jabs, why do ministers not want us to travel?

That is the billion-pound question that the UK travel industry is asking. 

Bearing in mind that Covid is likely to be around in at least small quantities in countries across the globe for many years, there is going to have to be a time to let travel 'return to normal'.

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Jet2 has announced that anyone travelling to an amber country before July 1 can get a full refund or can re-book their flights amid the new travel rules (stock image)

I booked with Jet2 to fly to Portugal on June 25 but they cancelled all flights until July 1. Where does that leave me?

Jet2 has said that anyone travelling to an amber country before July 1 can get a full refund or can re-book.

What are my employment rights if I am required to quarantine on return from an amber country?

This is tricky. If you are unable to work from home, employers are entitled to demand staff take either paid holiday or unpaid leave for the duration of the quarantine. 

But check as your employer may take a more sympathetic view.

When will the Government next review travel?

The list will be reviewed every three weeks. The next is due on June 24, with changes coming into effect on June 28.

Will President Biden have to self-isolate when he arrives for the G7 summit?

No. G7 delegates are exempt from the quarantine requirements as they are 'travelling to the UK for official business that cannot be undertaken while self-isolating'. 

But all attendees will need to provide a negative test before they arrive and take daily lateral flow tests at the summit in Cornwall.

I'm keen to go abroad in the next few months – how far in advance should I book?

If you can, book between seven and ten days before flying. This will give you enough time to sort your tests and travel insurance. 

Ensure your holiday is not during the three-weekly traffic light review as you could find yourself in a green country that is turning amber or red.

It may be another staycation summer. What's the weather forecast looking like?

Met Office meteorologist Sarah Kent said 'a hot summer is more likely than normal'. 

She added that, with climate change, 'there is a slightly greater impact from hot weather such as heatwaves'.