Eluned Morgan MS, Minister for Health and Social Services
I continue to call for caution against international travel for non-essential reasons this summer. There remain clear public health risks posed by re-opening international travel and of importing cases and variants of concern from abroad including vaccine escape variants.
As Wales shares an open border with England, despite the fact that we are concerned about the risks related to travel, we believe that there is no practical way the Welsh Government can develop its own border health policy in isolation from the other nations of the UK.
I have therefore, in line with changes being made in the other UK nations, agreed to add Montenegro and Thailand to the red list and to add Denmark, Lithuania, Finland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the Azores, and Canada to the green list.
These changes will come into effect at 4am on Monday 30 August.
I continue to press the UK Government for reassurances that it will be maintaining consistent and robust surveillance - including pre-departure tests, PCR testing on day 2 and the genomic sequencing of results as one mitigation against importing vaccine escape variants.
This statement is being issued during recess in order to keep members informed. Should members wish me to make a further statement or to answer questions on this when the Senedd returns I would be happy to do so.