The UK Government is reportedly lifting quarantine restrictions for fully vaccinated travellers coming from the EU and the US.
From 2 August, travellers who are fully vaccinated with the US and EU-approved vaccines will no longer need to quarantine for ten days after arriving in England.
However, the visitors are still required to take a pre-departure Covid-19 test, as well as a PCR test shortly after their arrival in England.
CBI infrastructure director Tom Thackray was quoted as saying by Express: “Restriction-free international travel will be a vital piece of the recovery jigsaw, and ending quarantine requirements for fully-vaccinated arrivals from the US and EU is a huge step towards that goal.
“The news will come as a significant boost to the beleaguered travel industry, while also restoring important business links with key trading partners.”
The lifting of these curbs for the US and EU is aimed at easing access to some of the UK’s biggest markets for visitor volumes.
As reported in Reuters, airlines such as British Airways, and Heathrow Airport (LHR), have reported cumulative losses of $4bn caused due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The new quarantine rule applies to England, though it is still unclear whether it will apply to Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
UK transport secretary Grant Shapps said: “We’ve taken great strides on our journey to reopen international travel and today is another important step. Whether you’re a family reuniting for the first time since the pandemic’s start or a business benefiting from increased trade, this is progress we can all enjoy.
“We will of course continue to be guided by the latest scientific data but thanks to our world-leading domestic vaccination programme, we’re able to look to the future and start to rebuild key transatlantic routes with the US while further cementing ties with our European neighbours.”
The UK Government also said that visitors from France will continue to undergo quarantine due to the presence of the Beta variant.
In May, the government announced that international travel at its airports will gradually resume from 17 May, allowing people to travel to green list countries.
