Travellers arriving in England will no longer be required to have Covid-19 tests if they have been fully vaccinated against the virus, according to the government.

The changes will take effect at 4:00 a.m. on February 11th.

The action was hailed by the travel industry as a welcome boost ahead of the half-term break next month.

Unvaccinated travellers will no longer be required to take a day eight test, according to the new rules.

However, they will still be subject to pre-departure and day-two tests.

Everyone entering England, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to submit a passenger locator form, which will be made “simpler and easier” to complete, according to transport secretary Grant Shapps.

Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have historically followed England’s lead, but they have the last say on any modifications.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson commented on the changes, saying that while people should be “cautious,” you can see the stats are beginning to improve.

The action will be welcomed by the travel and tourism industry, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus shutdown.

“WTTC welcomes the government’s decision to scrap testing for those who are fully vaccinated travelling to England,” said Julia Simpson, CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council.

Testing is no longer necessary, and we urge officials across the UK and around the world to follow England’s lead and enable fully vaccinated people to travel freely.

“After a gruelling 18 months for the UK tourism sector, this will provide a massive boost to businesses up and down the country.”

The WTTC, on the other hand, advocated for the elimination of “unnecessary” passenger location forms.

MAG’s group chief executive, Charlie Cornish, shared the positive remarks.

He commented: “This important announcement is excellent news for our sector’s recovery. This change will be welcomed by the millions of vaccinated people who are desperate to travel and will now be able to do so – restriction-free – for the first time in more than a year.”

He added: “The latest research shows travel restrictions do very little to stop the spread of variants like Omicron. Removing them will ensure the many cultural, social and economic benefits of international travel can be realised without any major impact on public health.”

The announcement will provide relief, according to Joss Croft, CEO of UKinbound.

He said, “The removal of testing for vaccinated international arrivals shows that England is truly open for business and for the first time in almost two years, inbound tourism businesses can start trading their way to recovery.

“Additionally, we hope to see the aligning of international restrictions across all four nations in the coming days. International visitors often visit more than one country when here in the UK, which is why a four nations approach to re-opening is very important.”

– India’s new age travel digital media

Also Read: Singapore Will Relax Its Travel Restrictions From 24 January

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