There is no prospect of an amber watchlist being introduced at the latest travel review this week, Sky News understands.
Government sources have confirmed that Boris Johnson has rejected the idea.
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‘We have to have a balanced approach’
It comes after the prime minister said he wanted a “simple” and “user-friendly” system for holidaymakers while at the same time stopping the importation of new variants of COVID-19.
The government is expected to announce changes to the traffic light system this week.
There had been speculation that a new amber watchlist, made up of destinations in danger of moving to the red list with little warning, could be included.
However the suggestion sparked a backlash from the travel industry and Conservative MPs, with reports of cabinet ministers being divided on the idea.
Given that travellers entering the UK from red list nations have to pay £1,750 to quarantine for 10 days, critics of the idea expressed fears that people would cancel trips to any amber watchlist destinations in order to avoid the prospect of being hit with a hefty isolation bill upon their return if the situation were to change.