£500 fine if you fly in with no clean test
PASSENGERS arriving in the UK without a clean Covid-19 test face a £500 fine from next week.
Pre-flight tests will be mandatory for all arrivals including UK residents, ministers announced yesterday.
Heathrow boss John Holland-Kay warned of chaos for those arriving from countries without airport testing facilities. He said: “If you’re caught out in one of those countries you’ll find it quite difficult to get the tests that are needed in order to come home. That’s going to be a real challenge for a lot of passengers.”
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the type of test is not important as long as it is accurate enough – so some rapid tests could be accepted.
QUARANTINE
The requirement for a negative test submitted within 72 hours of travel comes on top of the existing need for travellers to quarantine for 10 days after arriving in the UK.
Mr Shapps said the latest measure followed UK scientists’ concern that the South African variant of the virus could “disrupt” the vaccine – despite research suggesting the Pfizer jab would be effective against it.
Labour said the rules should have been introduced sooner. Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said ministers had “risked leaving the nation’s doors unlocked against the possibility of different strains of the virus entering”.
But Mr Shapps said the UK needs the movement of goods and people.
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary called the measures a “shambles” and said they would lead to the cancellation of flights into the UK.
Home Affairs Committee chief Yvette Cooper said there are still “many gaps” in the UK’s approach.