England Eases Travel Rules With Cheaper Covid Tests for Arrivals
England Eases Travel Rules With Cheaper Covid Tests for Arrivals
(Bloomberg) --
New rules allowing fully vaccinated travelers returning to England to take lateral-flow coronavirus tests instead of more expensive PCR tests will come into force on October 24.
The change will come into effect for families returning from half-term holidays, the Department for Health and Social Care said in an emailed statement.
Passengers will able to book the lateral flow test through private providers listed on a government website and will have to upload a photo of their test on or before day two of their arrival to verify the results. Anyone who tests positive will need to self-isolate and take a PCR test free of charge.
The move will be welcomed by the airline industry which had pushed for the move to happen in time for the October school break. Airlines had warned that PCR tests required for arrivals even from less-risky locations had acted as a brake on bookings because of the complexity of arranging them and costs that could double the price of a family holiday.
“We want to make going abroad easier and cheaper, whether you’re traveling for work or visiting friends and family,” Health Secretary Sajid Javid said.
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