Travel quarantine WILL be slashed after England’s lockdown ends, Transport Sec announces
TRAVEL quarantine is set to get slashed in half at the end of the English lockdown, the Transport Secretary announced today.
Grant Shapps told airport operators that a new “test and release scheme” will start once the latest shut-down is over to cut self isolation from non-safe nations from 14 days to around seven.
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He revealed today that the Travel Taskforce had been “making very good progress."
The Transport Secretary previously said the Taskforce would look to slash the quarantine to around a week, although the exact timescale has yet to be announced.
The new scheme will see passengers paying for a test after they arrive in the UK, taken four or five days after arrival, and if it is negative, it removes the need for quarantine.
He said while speaking to the Airport Operators Association this morning: “I want you to know that we are making very good progress on a test to release programme to launch, once we're out of this lockdown.
“This will consist of a single test for arrivals into the UK provided by the private sector, and at the cost to the passenger, allowing us a much reduced period of self isolation.”
Industry insiders have said it could cost up to £150 - but some of the costs will likely to be subsidised by the airlines.
He also revealed the quick result tests - which are being trialled in the mass testing pilot in Liverpool - could pave the way for non-quarantine travel.
Mr Shapps added: “This is a highly accurate swab test that gives results in less than an hour, and doesn't need to go to the lab.
“Ultimately, it could open the way for non-quarantine travel as well.”
It comes after a summer of rows between ministers and the travel industry sparked when the Government slapped 14-day quarantine periods on people coming back from dozens of countries - putting people off going away.
At the moment people aren't able to travel - both inside or outside of the UK - during England's second lockdown.
They risk a £200 fine if they are caught trying to escape to a get-away.
One-hour Covid tests for holidaymakers leaving the UK have already launched at Heathrow, giving a boost to international air travel.
The tests are being rolled out for passengers who are travelling to countries that require a negative coronavirus test in order to avoid being quarantined.
The pre-departure testing facilities launched at Heathrow Airport in Terminals 2 and 5 last month.
The tests are initially only being offered to passengers travelling to Hong Kong, with plans to roll them out to further destinations.
The testing by Collinson and Swissport is a rapid, LAMP type, test that returns a result in approximately 60 minutes.
Passengers travelling to Hong Kong only, can pre-book a test, which must be booked online before travelling to the airport.
The test costs £80 and results can be available in around 60 minutes, although the first passengers who received the tests reported that they took as little as 20 minutes.
London City Airport's CEO Robert Sinclair warned that the quarantine restrictions need to be over by Easter, otherwise future holidays will be at risk.
He said during a travel conference: "I do think that the industry is pretty much in survival mode, hoping to make it through to Easter and Summer."
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"I see [the test and release scheme] very much as phase one, as a reduction in quarantine.
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"The task force has to remain in place and move forward to developing a second step departures protocol which fully eliminates the quarantine altogether.
"The second step needs to be ahead of Easter next year as passengers do feel confident flying, there is just this significant issue undermining demand, due to quarantine, and a patchwork quilt of travel rules."