Backlash grows at travel crackdown

TRAVEL bosses have condemned the ‘knee jerk’ tightening of border rules which will send families’ testing bills soaring.

The new curbs, which came into force at 4am today, mean all fully vaccinated travellers must return to taking costly PCR tests within two days of arriving in the UK.

The move, in response to the Omicron variant, comes only a month after PCR swabs were ditched in favour of cheaper rapid lateral flow tests for the double-jabbed.

Self-isolation rules and costly quarantine hotels for those returning from countries on the ‘red list’ have also been reintroduced.

Health minister Edward Argar insisted Britons should not react by cancelling foreign Christmas holidays, but should accept a renewed ‘element of risk’ when travelling.

But former BA boss Willie Walsh, who now runs industry body the International Air Transport Association, said: ‘I’m very disappointed to see this knee-jerk reaction.

‘It’s clear that these measures have been completely ineffective in the past but impose huge hardship on people who are trying to connect with families and friends, and clearly massive financial damage to the tourism and airline industry.’

Calls grew yesterday to cap the cost of PCR tests, which are £82 each on average. Tory MP Henry Smith said: ‘The Government must as a matter of urgency focus on the cost of testing and, as a minimum, consider removing VAT.’