Yee-haw! US scraps Covid tests for vaccinated British travellers

THE USA yesterday dropped pre-departure Covid tests for fully vaccinated Britons in a huge boost for holidaymakers.

The move will save families more than £100 in testing bills and the hassle of having to arrange a swab within 24 hours of travel. It also cuts the risk of cancellations if anyone tests positive before flying.

The measures will come into force at one minute past midnight tomorrow. Unvaccinated adults will still be banned from entering for holidays.

But in a boost for family trips, unvaccinated children under 18 will be treated as though fully vaccinated if travelling with an inoculated adult. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, who lobbied for the changes last month, hailed the ‘huge boost for transatlantic travel’.

At present, Britons travelling to the US must take a PCR test within 24 hours of flying, adding more than £100 to the cost of a family holiday. British tourists were banned from the US at the start of the pandemic until November last year.