Britain will ditch a 14-day quarantine period for people arriving from countries it deems to be lower-risk for Covid-19, the UK government said on Friday.

Official travel advice against all but essential travel outside Britain will also be eased for some countries and regions.

Taken together, these changes will make it easier for Britons to travel abroad for summer holidays.

An expert panel will put nations into three categories: green, amber and red.

Passengers arriving from green and amber countries will no longer have to quarantine themselves for 14 days after their arrival.

The categories are due to be announced this week, with the rule changes expected to come into effect the week after.

They will be based on factors including prevalence of Covid-19, the trajectory of the disease and the reliability of data.

Britain said it is likely to discuss this with countries including France, Greece and Spain.