Covid tests for vaccinated travelers will be canceled from February 11

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Transportation Secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed that the new rules will take effect from 4 a.m. on February 11 into the holiday period.

In a statement to lawmakers on Monday, Mr. Shapps said the government had “cancelled all travel tests for vaccinated people”.

“We have promised that we will not keep these measures in place for a day longer than was necessary, and it is now clear to me that border testing of vaccinated travelers has outlived its usefulness and therefore we are canceling all travel testing of vaccinated people,” he said.

“Not only making travel a lot easier but also, of course, saving around £100 per family on visits abroad, providing certainty to travelers, carriers and () the vibrant tourism sector for the spring and summer.”

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Mr Shapps also said that children aged 12-15 will be able to prove their vaccination status on the NHS app from 4am on 3 February.

The UK is also set to recognize vaccine certificates from 16 other countries.

“This will include countries such as China and Mexico, bringing total vaccine recognition to more than 180 countries and territories around the world,” said Mr. Shapps.

He said reconnecting with key markets would not only “boost” the UK economy but also help the aviation industry “get back in the skies”.

The aviation industry warmly welcomed the news.

Sean Doyle, British Airways Chairman and CEO, said the relaxation “sends a clear message to the rest of the world that global Britain is back in business”.

Sam Whelan, Global Vice President of Marketing at StudentUniverse, said: “This is an important change for the travel industry, especially young travelers aged 18-25 who are usually more budget-conscious.

“The omicron variant has caused consumer confidence to decline in the near term, but we have seen a steady increase in interest in our primary destinations over the past few weeks – particularly the US – and hope to see more optimism after these beta changes from February 11th. We are finally getting closer to free travel once in a while. other”.

The Conservative House of Commons transport committee chair hailed a ‘historic day for international travel’ while the Transport Minister said ‘I think the days of going back to this big kind of border closures are over’.

Huw Merriman said the announcement was a “historic day for international travel, a sector that has been completely devastated over the past couple of years. And with this news, this is certainly the evidence they need that people now feel confident booking in with confidence.”

The prime minister said earlier that changes to testing rules for international travelers who are fully vaccinated would be made given that Britain was “moving across the Omicron wave”.

Speaking to broadcasters during a visit to the academic centre, Milton Keynes Hospital, Boris Johnson said: “Thanks to difficult decisions, we have had the big calls that we have made … the most open economy and society in Europe.

“And while we have to be careful, we are now moving through the Omicron wave, and you can see the numbers are starting to improve.

“So what we do in travel, to show that this country is open for business, open to travelers, you’ll see changes so that people who arrive don’t have to get tested if they get vaccinated, if they get vaccinated twice.”

So far, vaccinated travelers have had to take a two-day test and unvaccinated travelers must quarantine for 10 days and take a test for the second and eighth day.

Earlier this month, Heathrow chief executive John Holland Kaye said the airline industry would not fully recover until all restrictions were lifted.

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