Fri 15 October 2021:
From October 24, fully vaccinated visitors arriving in England from low-risk countries will no longer be required to do the costly COVID-19 tests, according to the British government.
Last month, the government eased the regulations for overseas travel to England, giving the tourism industry a boost after the industry blamed the testing and complicated rules for the summer’s slow recovery in air travel.
Fully vaccinated travelers and most under 18s traveling from countries not on the red list might do a lateral flow test on or before day two of their arrival, rather than a PCR lab test, starting Oct. 24, the start of school half-term holidays across much of England.
Lateral flow tests are less expensive and give a quicker result.
“Taking away expensive mandatory PCR testing will boost the travel industry and is a major step forward in normalizing international travel and encouraging people to book holidays with confidence,” Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps said in a statement.
Passengers must use lateral flow tests purchased from a private provider listed on the government’s website instead of free ones available through the government’s Test and Trace scheme, and passengers must upload a photo of their test and their booking reference to verify the result, according to the government.
The National Health Service will provide a free confirmatory PCR test to anyone who has a positive lateral flow test.
(with agency)
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