BySTEVEN GANOT/THE MEDIA LINE
British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced in a tweet late Wednesday that Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as India, would be recategorized as amber, rather than red, on the UK’s “traffic light” system for travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

The UK assigns countries green (low risk), amber (medium risk) or red (high risk) status based on COVID-19 risk. Travelers to Britain from red countries must quarantine at a hotel for 10 days.

The changes to the list will go into effect on Sunday, August 8 at 4:00 a.m. British Summer Time.

All travelers aged 11 or older must take a coronavirus test within 10 days before arrival in the UK. In addition, all travelers except those aged 4 and under must take a COVID-19 PCR test on or before their second day in Britain.

Travelers coming from countries on the amber list are required to home-quarantine for 10 days, taking a PCR test on days two and eight. They also have a "test to release" option on day five. Different rules apply for fully vaccinated people arriving from EU countries and US.

Those coming from red-list countries must quarantine at a hotel for 10 days, taking a PCR test on days two and eight.

Israel is the only MENA country on Britain’s green list. It is considered on the green watchlist, meaning that it is in danger of being reclassified.

Amber list countries in the Middle East and North Africa include Algeria, Cyprus, Djibouti, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, the Palestinian territories, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen and, from August 8, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

The MENA countries on Britain’s red list include Afghanistan, Egypt, Oman, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Turkey, and, until August 8 at 4:00 am BST, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.