Mozambique, Angola, Brazil and Cape Verde will be removed next week from the "red list" of countries subject to quarantine on arrival in England, which will be reduced to seven countries and territories, the British government announced on Thursday..

The change goes into effect on Monday, in time for the interim school vacations in the last week of October. 

Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela are the only countries that remain on the "red list" because they are considered to be at higher risk for containing the covid-19 pandemic. 

In all, 47 countries and territories have been dropped from the list, whose travelers are no longer subject to 10-day quarantine in a designated hotel at a cost of £2,285 (€2,672), plus testing on the second and eighth day.

The British government has also announced that 37 other countries, including Brazil and India, will now also have their vaccines recognized for entry into the country, eliminating the need for pre-departure testing.

New Delhi had expressed outrage against London for not recognizing the version of the AstraZeneca vaccine produced in India, so it retaliated and imposed various restrictions on visitors from the UK. 

However, this extension does not include the remaining Portuguese-speaking countries (Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, East Timor, and Equatorial Guinea), whose citizens still do not have recognized vaccines. 

Transport Minister Grant Shapps said the easing of restrictions will allow families and friends to reunite and travel to tourist destinations with different seasons, "thanks in part to increased vaccination efforts around the world."

"Restoring people's confidence in travel is the key to rebuilding our economy," he added. 

The rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are decided by the respective autonomous governments, which have aligned themselves with the English system.  

Since Monday a simplified system of restrictions has been in place, which has eliminated pre-departure tests on entry into the UK.