The UK announced reducing the current mandatory 14-day quarantine for international passengers to five days from December 15 if a test taken five days after arrival proves negative, a move welcomed by the struggling tourism and airline sectors as being “long overdue”.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps said that passengers arriving into England from countries not on the government’s travel corridor list will have the option to take the test after five days of self-isolation, with a negative result releasing them from the need to isolate.
Under the plan called ‘Test to Release’, officials said passengers arriving into England by plane, ferry or train should book their test before they travel; must complete a passenger locator form; and will still need to self-isolate for five days before taking the test.
Shapps said: “Our new testing strategy will allow us to travel more freely, see loved ones and drive international business. By giving people the choice to test on day 5, we are also supporting the travel industry as it continues to rebuild out of the pandemic.”
The test will need to be booked at the traveller’s expense from an approved list of providers. Those choosing not to take a test when arriving from a non-exempt country must continue to follow the current self-isolation requirements of 14 days.
Officials said the update is based on advice from a consortium of expert representatives from the aviation, maritime, international rail, tourism and hospitality industries to boost international travel for all modes, while safeguarding public health in the UK.
The government will also continue to work with international partners and representatives across the transport industries to further build on the recommendations in the report, including exploring pre-departure testing pilots with partner countries on a bilateral basis, they added.
