England has announced that travelers coming into the country from some parts of the world will only have to quarantine for 5 days instead of the 14 that was being enforced in the country before now. The new regulation will be effective from December 15 and it will avail travelers from regions of the world that are not on the country’s travel corridor list, the opportunity to take a COVID-19 test after just 5 days in quarantine, the BBC reports.
Travelers with negative coronavirus results will be allowed to avoid self-isolation but must adhere to all other COVID-19 restrictions currently available in the country. The scheme tagged “test and release” will only be enforced in England, but it is unclear if it will spread to other parts of the United Kingdom. Travelers coming into England by air, water or rail will have to book an appointment to get tested and pay for the tests themselves.
“The scheme will give people the opportunity to travel, and meet with their loved ones, and it will also open more opportunities for businesses,” Grant Shapps, UK Transport Secretary said. “More people will travel since they can take their tests five days after arrival. This means more revenue for the travel sector especially as it still struggling to overcome the effects of the pandemic.”
The United Kingdom declared that travelers must quarantine for 14 days as the second wave of the pandemic rocked Europe. The policy came into effect on June 8 and many members of the population criticized the policy as it crippled the travel industry and stopped residents from traveling. The 14 days rule was later relaxed for travelers coming in from England’s approved locations but the list has been frequently changed and travelers from other locations had to quarantine for two-weeks, CNN writes.
Paul Charles, CEO of The PC Agency, a travel consultancy firm, applauded the new scheme. Charles has been at the forefront of people mounting pressure on the government to stop the restrictions on the travel industry.
“It is a great step, though long-overdue, towards helping to rebuild the travel industry,” the CEO told reporters. “There are a lot of people who can afford to pay for the test and quarantine for just five days, so they can go see their loved ones again.”
He also explained that the international travel community has to resolve all the “complex jigsaw puzzle” that travelers have to follow, stating that it is only until there is “international consistency” that the industry will begin to slowly recover.
Travelers must book an appointment for their tests before traveling and fill out a passenger locator form under the new scheme. The nationwide lockdown of the country currently bans outbound traveling but it will end on December 2. Things might be looking up for the industry soon as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has stated that it is making progress in giving out electronic health passes that will help countries regulate the spread of COVID-19 without imposing long term quarantine periods on travelers.
Source: bbc.com
