The Prime Minister said the move would signal that Britain is “open for business” as it emerges from the latest wave of infections. The changes will come into force in time for the February half-term, providing a much-needed boost for the tourism industry.
During a visit to Milton Keynes Hospital, Mr Johnson said: “Although we have to be cautious, we are now moving through the Omicron wave, and you can see the figures are starting to get better.
“So what we’re doing on travel, to show this country is open for business, open for travellers, you will see changes so people arriving no longer have to take tests if they have been double vaccinated.”
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the change would begin at 4am on February 11.
He told MPs in the House of Commons: “After months of pre-departure testing, post-arrival testing, self-isolation and additional expense, all that fully-vaccinated people will now have to do when they travel to the UK is verify their status via a passenger locator form.
“We promised we wouldn’t keep these measures in place a day longer than was necessary, and it is obvious to me now that border testing for vaccinated travellers has outlived its usefulness.
“We are therefore scrapping all travel tests for vaccinated people, not only making travel much easier but also saving about £100 per family on visits abroad.”
Mr Shapps said people would be considered fully vaccinated if they could prove they had received two doses of an approved Covid jab, or one dose of the single-shot Janssen one.
Vaccine certificates from 16 new countries including China and Mexico will be accepted at the UK border from February 11, bringing the total to more than 180.
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Unvaccinated individuals will also no longer be required to self-isolate or take a day-eight test after arrival.
Mr Shapps said: “They will still need to fill out a passenger locator form to demonstrate proof of a negative Covid test taken two days before they travel and they must take a post-arrival PCR test.
“This is a proportionate system that moves us a step closer to normality while maintaining vital public health protections.”
In a further boost for families planning half-term holidays, the minister announced that 12 to 15-year-olds will be able to prove their vaccination status using the NHS app from February 3.
Mr Shapps added that the Government would retain the option to reinstate the red list if necessary but officials are looking at alternatives to the managed quarantine system.
Paul Charles, CEO of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said testing requirements for fully-vaccinated travellers had been in place for too long and caused “a nightmare for travel firms for most of the pandemic”.
He said: “Now confidence to travel can fully return, trips can be less expensive and 2022 can signal the rebirth of the sector.”
EasyJet boss Johan Lundgren said: “It is clear travel restrictions did not materially slow the spread of Omicron in the UK and so it is important that there are no more knee-jerk reactions to future variants.”
The UK reported a further 88,447 Covid-19 cases and 56 deaths within 28 days of a positive test. The number of daily cases appears to have levelled off in the last few days, after falling from a peak of 218,000 on January 4.
Source: Daily Express
