NEWS
From Sunday, arrivals in England will be allowed to take cheaper day-two lateral flow tests instead of PCR tests
Dates for test switch and US reopening give trade a boost
Ian Taylor
The industry received a double boost last week with the government removing PCR tests for vaccinated arrivals to England in time for the half-term holiday and the US opening its borders from November 8. Confirmation of the
removal of day-two PCR tests for those vaccinated from Sunday, October 24, came with barely nine days’ notice and US entry requirements remained unspecified as Travel Weekly went to press. World Travel & Tourism Council
have to work with what we’ve got.” Cheaper lateral flow tests can be
booked from October 22 when a list of approved providers will go live on the
gov.uk site. Passengers will have to book and
STORY TOP
pay for the test in advance and enter the booking reference on their Passenger Locator Form (PLF), then upload a photo of the post-arrival test result. If it’s positive they can take a
free PCR test. Keller said: “Those who have
president Julia Simpson hailed the US reopening but insisted: “Governments should axe red lists.” Dale Keller, chief executive of the
Board of Airline Representatives in the UK, said: “It’s not ideal, but we
travelweekly.co.uk
already travelled will find it an easier, quicker process. But it’s important to realise everyone who purchases a test and puts it on the PLF must provide the result.” Airport Operators Association
chief executive Karen Dee urged testing companies “to pass on the savings in full” and Keller said: “We want more clarity over the final price
because it was smoke and mirrors previously.” The government announcement
noted some tests “would remain on the market pending validation... to address any potential shortage of supply”. But Keller said: “There should be plenty of capacity in the system.” The devolved administrations
had yet to confirm they would follow Westminster’s lead as Travel Weekly went to press, but Keller said: “As far as we’re aware they plan to follow. There is a commitment to a four-nations approach, but we’ve continually seen a delay in the other nations coming out with announcements, which creates confusion.” Speaking at the Latin American
Travel Association Expo, Keller insisted: “I’ve seen a confidence in ministers in the last four weeks that I’ve not seen at any other point. The
October reopening was better than we hoped. We have to wait to see the winter data, but if the government is happy with that, the January policy review will go further.” The regime for unvaccinated
travellers remains tough, with a pre-departure test, PCR tests on days two and eight and 10 days’ self-isolation without an additional ‘test to release’ on day five. Keller warned “Covid will be
around for a long time” and a second aviation source asked: “What happens if vaccines are not rolled out across the world? Some big markets are not going to be fully vaccinated, not least the US. The Asian markets are slow. Latin America is not great. Australia is way behind. How do we ensure that all works? What sort of travel regime
are we going to have long term?” i Get Social, page 35 i Business, back page
21 OCTOBER 2021 5
PICTURE: Shutterstock/Ink Drop
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