‘We want to give certainty to our travellers and will do full review by end of month’
EXPLAINING the policy change, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, right, said: “I’ve always said that we won’t keep international travel restrictions in place any longer than they are necessary to protect public health.
“That’s why we’re removing the temporary, extra testing measures we introduced for Omicron in November, making travel easier and cheaper for fully vaccinated passengers and providing a big boost for the travel industry as we enter the peak new year booking period.”
He added: “We want to provide more certainty to passengers and businesses, and will do a full review of our international travel measures for 2022 by the end of the month.”
The changes come despite the ongoing spread of the Omicron variant.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “As we learn more about the Omicron variant it is right that we keep our testing and border measures under review to ensure they remain proportionate.
“The steps we’re taking will make travel easier for people while protecting the UK public from the virus.”
He added: “Omicron continues to be a serious threat and it is important that travellers continue to get tested.
“But the most important thing anyone can do if they haven’t already is come forward for their vaccine.”
Dr Susan Hopkins, of the UK Health Security Agency said it was important that travellers remain vigilant and continue to follow the guidance in place.
“It is vital anyone who receives a positive Day 2 lateral flow test self-isolates immediately and orders a
PCR on gov.uk.
“All travel PCRs with high amounts of virus are sequenced to help us
understand if any new variants are emerging around the world and entering the UK. Everyone must continue to wear face coverings where required, wash hands regularly and work from home to help stop the spread of the virus and keep our loved ones and community safe.” Research commissioned by Manchester Airports Group (MAG) – which owns Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports – and trade body Airlines UK indicated that removing all international travel testing would not affect the spread of Omicron in the UK. The analysis, conducted by Oxera and Edge Health, concluded domestic restrictions would be the only way to reduce Covid cases related to the strain. Passenger numbers at MAG-owned airports fell by more than 30 per cent from early December,
following the introduction of the tougher testing requirements.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid had told Parliament on December 13 that the justification for the rules would be “minimised” as Omicron became the dominant variant in the UK.
MAG chief executive Charlie Cornish and Airlines UK boss Tim Alderslade said in a joint statement: “This latest research by Oxera and Edge Health clearly supports the position that travel testing requirements can be removed in full without impacting overall case rates and hospitalisations in the UK.
Paul Charles, of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said “harsh testing measures have really hurt recovery”.
He added: “Travel bans and restrictions don’t prevent infections coming into the UK, as we’ve seen, but simply damage consumer confidence and slow bookings. I don’t need to take any tests to travel from London to Edinburgh by train, where I mix with lots of people, so why should it be any different to travel from Brussels to London by train?”