Britain ends Covid testing for travelers who got dual vaccine, says Johnson | Corona Virus

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Boris Johnson has announced that coronavirus testing for twice-vaccinated travelers arriving in England will be cancelled.

The prime minister has not confirmed when the travel rules will be relaxed, but it is likely to happen before the mid-term holiday in February.

It would be a huge boost for travel companies and families planning a trip abroad.

On a visit to Milton Keynes Hospital on Monday, Johnson said: “What we’re doing in travel, to show this country is open for business, open to travelers, you’re going to see changes so that people who arrive don’t have to get tested. If they’re vaccinated, if they’re vaccinated twice” .

British Airways, the industry body, said it was a “historic day”.

The declaration applies only to England, but the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have recently implemented Westminster changes to international travel rules.

Fully vaccinated people, that is, those who have received a full course of an approved vaccine, arriving in England must pre-book and post-arrival testing from a private supplier.

This could be a lateral flow test, which usually costs around £19.

The PA News Agency understands that further changes mean that fully vaccinated arrivals will only have to complete a simplified version of the passenger locator form.

It is also expected that the vaccines used by more countries for travel will be recognized, and the rules for travelers who have not been fully vaccinated will be relaxed.

Arrivals who are not fully vaccinated must take a pre-departure test and two post-arrival PCR tests, which are more expensive than the lateral flow version.

They must also self-isolate for 10 days.

The decision to relax travel rules comes in the wake of increased pressure from the sector, which claims the restrictions are ineffective.

EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren welcomed the update, saying that “millions of our customers” would be “happy to see the return of restrictions-free travel in the UK”.

He continued, “We believe that travel testing should now be a thing of the past.

“It is clear that travel restrictions have not slowed the spread of Omicron in the UK and so it is important that there are no quick reactions to future variables.”

He added that the airline intends to return to “flight levels approaching 2019 this summer.”

Tim Alderslade, president of British Airways, said: “This is a historic day for travelers, businesses and the UK.

“Nearly two years since the initial Covid restrictions were imposed, today’s announcement is making international travel near normal for all catering, and ultimately in line with hospitality and the local economy.”

Christophe Mathew, chief executive of Brittany Ferris, said bookings for the spring and summer break were already “coming” but the announcement meant “we can expect demand to pick up in the first half of February”.

The announcement will make travel “easier and cheaper and will increase consumer confidence,” said Abby Penlington, director of the Discover Ferries Federation.

Transport Minister Grant Shapps will announce details of the new travel regulations in a statement in the House of Commons on Monday afternoon, after the Cabinet’s Covid-19 Operations Committee meets.

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