England scraps quarantine for vaccinated EU, US travelers

The changes apply to those with a vaccine approved by the US or in Europe. Arrivals will still need to test negative before departing for England.

All people traveling from the EU or the US who have been fully vaccinated will not have to quarantine upon arrival in England, Transport Minister Grant Shapps announced Wednesday.

The plan will come into effect on August 2. It will scrap requirements for those entering the country who have been vaccinated outside the UK to self-isolate for 10 days.

It only applies to people arriving from the UK's "amber" listed countries where there is a moderate rate of COVID-19 infections.

The minister announced the changes on Twitter, saying "we're helping reunite people living in the US and European countries with their family and friends in the UK."

"The changes will apply to fully vaxxed people with an FDA or EMA vaccine — they'll still

need to do the usual pre-departure test before arrival and take a PCR test on day 2 of returning to England," Shapps also tweeted.

It was not clear whether Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would also implement it, but it is expected that they will follow suit soon.

US still warning against UK travel

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has the UK placed on its highest alert level due to the high levels of delta variant infections.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told radio broadcaster LBC that he was considering a travel corridor with the US. "We want people to be able to come from the US freely in a way that they normally do," he said.

UK travelers, however, are still barred from visiting the US.

England scrapped obligatory quarantine for return travelers from "amber list" countries — including the US and most of the

EU — on July 19, but only for people who had received both of their vaccines from the British health service, the NHS.

Tourism industry relief

The UK's travel industry has been pushing the government to open up more quickly. Airlines will be looking to entice travelers back to the UK after 16 months of restrictions. British Airways saw its share prices up 3% with easyJet's shares jumping by around 4% following the announcement.

The countries covered by the new quarantine-free travel rules include the UK's nine biggest markets by visitor volume at prepandemic levels.

Shapps also announced the relaunching of international cruises, as well as flexible testing programs for key workers.

More than 70% of British adults have been fully vaccinated, but the spread of the delta variant has been rampant. England dropped all social distancing restrictions earlier in the month.

ab/rt (AFP, Reuters)

Until now, people vaccinated outside the UK still had to quarantine on arrival