TRAVEL agents in Worcester have described the Government’s announcement to ease quarantine for Brits returning from countries on the amber list as “a step in the right direction.”

But the coronavirus traffic light system for holidaymakers continues to spark outrage.

Holiday companies in Worcester welcomed Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s announcement yesterday that daily Covid tests could replace a 10-day quarantine for people visiting amber countries.

Kelly Stanley, owner of Kelly’s Travel in Worcester, said the constant changes of the traffic light system caused “blow after blow” during the pandemic, but was pleased with the news.

She said: “It’s a step in the right direction and it’s slow progress. The inconvenience and costly testing is still putting customers off travelling.

“The whole traffic light system should be scrapped and replaced with a policy whereby all double jabbed can go anywhere (bar red destinations) and not quarantine on the return.”

She continued: “Our business has been dealt blow after blow since this pandemic began.

“These past 14 months, we have worked tirelessly on behalf of our customers, dealing with a large number of amendments, cancellations and refunds, all whilst working on a reduced workforce and a dramatic drop in income.”

Jennifer Lynch, general manager at Arrange My Escape has expressed the same concerns.

She said: “When vaccinations were first brought in, we experienced a boom in bookings because the general consensus was we would be allowed to travel if we were double vaccinated.

“When the Government announced the traffic lights system and the restrictions in place, we did find customers were confused as to why they needed tests and they couldn’t travel freely.”

She continued: “We have had early reports that the government will be reviewing if double jabbed can travel to amber destinations without quarantine.

“While we need to be cautious and careful with the threat of importing variants, it is extremely important the travel industry is allowed to resume safely.”