UK eases Covid rules for global travellers
Those coming from Turkey, Pakistan and Maldives will not have to quarantine
England set out measures to boost international travel yesterday, abandoning expensive Covid-19 testing requirements for fully vaccinated travellers, scrapping its traffic light system and adding eight countries to its safe list.
Travellers returning to England from Turkey, Pakistan, and the Maldives will not have to quarantine on their return as they are removed from the so-called Covid red list for travel, British transport minister Grant Shapps said.
Shapps also said under the new proposals destinations will simply be ranked low or high risk, instead of red, amber and green.
From October 4, passengers arriving from low-risk countries will be permitted to take a cheaper lateral flow test, rather than the privately administered PCR lab tests now required. PCR tests for a family now can cost hundreds of pounds.
“Today’s changes mean a simpler, more straightforward system. One with less testing and lower costs, allowing more people to travel, see loved ones or conduct business around the world while providing a boost for the travel industry,” the transport secretary said.
The British government sets policy for England, while Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are in charge of their own rules.
Airlines and travel companies have argued for months that far-reaching changes were needed to the system or more job losses would follow the 100,000 already lost. They blamed testing and complicated rules for the slowness of a recovery in air travel over the summer.
The industry, already on its knees after 18 months of restrictions, is facing a cliff edge as a government furlough scheme ends later this month with winter approaching, when fewer people travel and businesses tend to make a loss.
Recovery lags
Data shows that Britain’s travel recovery is lagging. UK flights were down 39 per cent compared to pre-pandemic levels for the two weeks to early September 6, while France, Spain and Italy were down between 24-28per cent, according to Eurocontrol.