Self-isolation, pre-departure tests scrapped for inbound arrivals to England
People arriving in England from overseas will no longer need to take a PCR test before their flight or be forced into self-isolation on arrival in a move that will provide sorely needed help to the UK’s travel sector.
Boris Johnson today said the measures were no longer needed due to the widespread prevalence of Omicron and would be scrapped from 4am on Friday.
International arrivals will instead be asked to take a lateral flow test on arrival and to self-isolate if it comes back positive.
The news was warmly welcomed by the UK’s aviation and tourism sectors, after the restrictions led to a large number of flight cancellations in December.
The changes in travel restrictions come alongside new rules that mean people will not need to confirm a positive lateral flow test with a PCR test from 11 January.
The Prime Minister said: “Our balanced approach also means that where specific measures are no longer serving their purpose, they will be dropped. So when the Omicron variant was first identified, we rightly introduced travel restrictions to slow its arrival in our country.
“But now Omicron is so prevalent, these measures are having limited impact on the growth in cases, while continuing to pose significant costs on our travel industry.”
A report last month from aviation analytics firm Cirium found that total UK air travel was down by 71 per cent in 2021 from pre-pandemic levels.
This was made worse by the December rule changes in what is usually a busy period for the aviation sector.
Heathrow Airport said many business passengers cancelled their flights in December, after Johnson introduced the stricter rules for international arrivals.
Airport Operators Association chief executive Karen Dee said: “Despite the removal of the temporary measures, airports continue to face a difficult period. There continue to be countries who have imposed restrictions on UK arrivals and consumer confidence has been knocked during the crucial Christmas booking period. The UK and devolved governments should set out how they will support aviation towards a sustainable recovery to ensure the UK has the connectivity and the airports necessary for our economic recovery.”
Virgin Atlantic chief executive Shai Weiss said “travellers can now book with confidence and look forward to reconnecting with loved ones and business colleagues”.
Hannah Essex, Co-Executive Director of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “The easing of testing requirements for travel should provide a welcome boost to a sector that has been among the hardest hit throughout the pandemic.
“But urgent action is needed to address issues with the supply of lateral flow tests to make sure the workforce is not isolating unnecessarily. Too many businesses are telling us that their staff cannot get access.”
Matthew Fell, chief policy director at the Confederation of British Industries, said the “testing and self-isolation measures have had a significant impact on demand for international travel” and that “the easing of these requirements is a very positive step towards the goal of a return to restriction-free travel”.