Addressing the nation at a 10 Downing Street briefing on Tuesday (14 September), Johnson confirmed the traffic light system would be changed and the burden of testing eased, but offered no further detail.
Taking questions from the public, Kirstie from Leeds asked the prime minister when the government’s "strict travel rules" would be further eased for the fully vaccinated, and whether ministers would clear up the confusion about how countries are classified under the traffic light system.
Johnson responded: "I appreciate people are very frustrated about the travel rules but it is vital we do whatever we can to stop the virus being reimported, particularly to control new variants when they’re at risk of coming in.
"That’s why we have the rules, that’s we have the red list, and I know travellers have been frustrated this summer in having to take tests in order to do it but I think it is reasonable to ask people to do that to help protect the population.
"We will be saying a lot more shortly, Kirstie, about the traffic light system, about simplifying it and about what we can do to make the burdens of testing less onerous for those coming back into the country, but that will be coming shortly."
Earlier on Tuesday, Javid address the Commons, stressing an update on the UK’s travel rules would come from transport secretary Grant Shapps by 1 October, likely leaving travellers and the travel industry in limbo for several more weeks.
Both his and Johnson’s comments came after the government published its 30-page winter plan, which offered similarly scant detail on ministers’ plans to ease the UK’s travel rules and allow travel to resume in earnest.
Johnson said the government would stick with its unlock strategy, while continuing to offer testing and to urge people to exercise caution while remaining "sensible and responsible".
He said further measures, such as mandatory Covid certification and mask mandates, would be held in reserve as a "plan B" if merited, stating it would be unwise to rule these measures out completely at this stage.
“We do not see the need now to proceed with mandatory [vaccine] certification," said the prime minister. "More than 200 events have already used Covid certification voluntarily. It is just not sensible to roll out completely this kind of option now.
“We will keep open the option of mandating face coverage or advising people to work from home. We are confident in the vaccines that have made such a difference in our lives."
Johnson said the government didn’t want to "go back to the lockdowns of the past", and said it was now pushing ahead with its vaccine booster campaign.
Over-50s will be offered booster jabs six months after their second dose, while vaccination is set to be rolled out to 12- to 15-year-olds. More than 80% of over-16s are now double-jabbed, the prime minister added.
