It’s becoming harder and harder to follow the Foreign Office’s travel advice

With airlines still flying to destinations, refunds for booked holidays scarce, and lots to lose through cancelled travel plans, people are simply ignoring government advice, says Qin Xie

To go or not to go – it's hard to navigate the constantly changing travel restrictions (Getty/iStock)

The weekly quarantine roulette has become an unwelcome addition to the pandemic routine.

On Thursdays, around 5pm, transport secretary Grant Shapps announces changes to the travel corridors list. On Fridays, those who don’t want to or can’t afford to self-isolate for two weeks make an expensive mad dash back across the border to the UK. On Saturdays, at 4am, an invisible border is erected – anyone crossing it afterwards must quarantine.

The Foreign Office, recently rebranded from the FCO to the FCDO, has been following the Department of Transport’s lead – destinations struck off the travel corridors list are also crossed off its list of places previously deemed “safe” to visit for UK travellers.