From 4am on Monday morning, anyone entering England from either the EU or the USA will no longer need to quarantine provided they can show proof of having been fully vaccinated against Covid 19.
The announcement was made on Wednesday afternoon by Grant Schapps, the Secretary of State for Transport.
The announcement is a major boost for the airlines and for the tourist sector as a whole, both of which have been severely hit by coronavirus legislation. On release of the news, share prices increased across the sector by as much as 5% on the London exchange.
Writing on Twitter, Schapps said that the changes would apply to fully vaccinated people with a U.S. or European approved vaccine. Those travelling would still need to do the usual pre-departure test before arrival and take a PCR test on day two of returning to England.
https://twitter.com/grantshapps/status/1420374101097598979?s=20
It is unclear when the change will also extend to the other devolved nations of the UK.
In the USA, however, the government said it would maintain travel restrictions, including a ban on most non-U.S. citizens from entering the U.S. from Britain, due to the rapid spread of the delta variant.
Last week, the CDC and State Department raised their warnings on U.K. travel to the highest level, telling citizens to avoid travelling there.
Meanwhile there is some speculation that Spain could move to Amber plus when the next review of the traffic light lists for international travel takes place next week. The move would be a blow to British holidaymakers and to the business community, particularly those in the hospitality and tourism sectors.
A Department for Transport spokesman said: “We are closely monitoring the data and will take swift action on travel list allocations and international travel requirements should the data show that countries’ risk to England has changed.”
