The British government announced on Friday that COVID-19 restrictions on international travel will be relaxed next month.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that the traffic light system currently in force will be on a single reduced “Red List” of destinations that travelers arriving in the UK must quarantine by the government from October 4. Announced that it will be replaced. -Supervised hotel.
Fully vaccinated people no longer need to perform pre-departure testing before returning to a destination other than the Red List, replacing PCR testing on the second day from the end of October with cheaper immunochromatography testing. I can do it.
After another summer, which was severely hit by COVID-19 regulations, the rules were revised under strong pressure from the travel industry.
Mr. Chaps said the measure was aimed at “appropriate balance” and would simplify the system while managing public health risks “as a top priority.”
“Today’s changes mean a simpler, easier-to-understand system. Fewer tests, lower costs, more people traveling, meeting loved ones, doing business around the world, and traveling. It can boost the industry, “he said.
“Public health has always been at the heart of our international travel policy, allowing more than 8 out of 10 adults to be fully vaccinated in the UK to introduce a proportionally updated structure that reflects the new landscape. became.”
Airline and travel industry leaders welcomed the move, but urged the government to take further steps.
EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren said:
“But vaccinated travelers and travelers from low-risk countries need to do unnecessary tests after arriving in the UK, making travel affordable for everyone. No more. Since 1 July, no other parts of Europe have been tested for vaccinated travelers, so if this continues, the UK will lag further behind the rest of Europe. It will be.”
British Airways CEO Shawn Doyle also urged the minister to abolish “all tests for fully vaccinated passengers as soon as possible.”
The Scottish Government has said it will abolish its traffic light system but will not comply with England in removing the pre-departure test requirements for a fully vaccinated return from a country other than the Red List.
Scotland also does not imitate England when using the laterl flow test on the second day at this stage.
PA contributed to this report.
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