The British government announced on Monday that it would lift the requirement to carry out a Covid-19 screening for fully vaccinated travelers arriving in England, a much-awaited measure before the February school holidays.
Currently, doubly vaccinated travelers to the UK must book a test (antigen or PCR) for Covid-19 to be carried out after arrival. Those who are not fully vaccinated must take one test before departure, then two PCR tests after arrival and must self-isolate for 10 days.
“What we’re doing for travel is showing that this country is open for business, open for travellers,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. In Parliament, Transport Minister Grant Shapps clarified that vaccinated passengers would be exempt from any screening from Friday February 11.
“It is obvious to me that now border tests for vaccinated travelers have lost their usefulness,” he explained.
Travelers who are not fully vaccinated will no longer need to self-isolate and be tested eight days after arrival. However, they will still need to have tested negative two days before entering England and do a PCR test after arrival.
Just recommendations
Grant Shapps defended a “proportionate system that brings us closer to normality while maintaining essential public health protections”.
The employers’ organization CBI welcomed “a welcome step forward” allowing the transport sector to hope for “a return to normal in 2022”. However, it asked for an action plan in the event of a new variant to avoid permanent unexpected changes to the rules.
Building on that progress, Boris Johnson announced last week the lifting of the final restrictions in England. From Thursday, wearing a mask will no longer be legally compulsory, but recommended in closed and crowded places. It is already abandoned in schools. A health pass will no longer be imposed for access to nightclubs and certain large gatherings.