Fully Vaccinated Tourists Arriving in England Don’t Need to Get Tested for COVID-19 Anymore

Travellers who are thinking of spending a holiday in England are in for some good news. As long as they’re fully vaccinated, they won’t have to present negative RT-PCR test results for their vacation in England. The government has confirmed that this new rule will apply starting 11 Feb 2022, from 4pm. 

That’s not all, the England government has also eased rules for unvaccinated travellers who no longer have to take a COVID-19 test on their eighth day. However, they still need to do so before arriving in England and after two days of stay. 

Upon arriving in England, all travellers regardless of vaccination status will need to fill out a Passenger Locator Form. According to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, this will be made simpler and easier to complete.

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English authorities welcome the ease in restrictions

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Both Prime Minister Boris Johnson and World Travel & Tourism Council chief executive Julia Simpson seemed very happy with the ease in restrictions. “WTTC welcomes the government’s decision to scrap testing for those who are fully vaccinated travelling to England,” said Simpson.

“There is no longer any need for testing, and we urge ministers across the UK and countries around the world to follow England’s lead and allow the fully vaccinated 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,” she added.

Prime Minister Boris, on the other hand, reminded everyone to stay cautious, but also stated how the COVID situation is getting easier to manage. “You can see the figures are starting to get better,” he said. 

The Manchester Airports Group Chief Executive Charlie Cornish even went as far as to say the Omicron variant isn’t so much of a threat anymore. 

“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. 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,” he told the media. 

Also read: Europe Might Soon Have Sleeper Trains Connecting London and Barcelona

England awaits fully vaccinated travellers!

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England has logged a total of 13 million COVID-19 cases, with daily cases rising up to 80,000+ as of writing. Though England is set to become one of the most lenient countries in welcoming fully vaccinated travellers, we still encourage everyone to get tested before their flight to the Home of the Big Ben. 

If you’d rather not, then it’s best to stay at home a few days before your trip so as not to increase your chances of getting infected with COVID-19. Better safe than sorry. See you in London?

Featured image credit: Julius_Silver | Pixabay. News sourced from Breaking Travel News and CNN Travel | Official Websites