Abta calls for clarity on travel advice Ian Taylor
Abta continues to press the government for greater clarity and consistency on travel despite the removal of pre-departure test requirements for vaccinated travellers from Monday. Chief executive Mark Tanzer told
Travel Weekly: “It’s not job done by any means. “There are still 54 countries
on the red list including some major destinations. We’re keeping the pressure on government to be upfront about why countries are on the red list. We also have the anomaly of Foreign Office [FCDO] advice.” The FCDO still advises against travel to about 100 countries despite
lifting its advice against travel to Egypt, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Pakistan on Tuesday. Tanzer said: “The Maldives was the clearest example. The FCDO said its advice against travel was due to Covid. We’re trying to get it to explain. If you’re double-vaccinated and went to the Maldives, what was the risk?” He added: “The Passenger Locator
Form is still a bureaucratic obstacle. What is it intended to do? Is it going to be here for ever? What do we do with unvaccinated passengers? “It’s clear there have to be measures
in place for those unvaccinated, but what is the policy based on? Is it more dangerous to go to France than to Scotland [if unvaccinated]? “The other thing is recognition
Fears lateral flow tests may not be as cheap as hoped
Ian Taylor
Details of the day-two lateral flow tests to replace PCR tests for vaccinated arrivals in October are expected within days, but there are concerns they may be more expensive than hoped. A leading aviation source told
Travel Weekly: “The danger is these tests have to be supervised or incorporate the cost of a follow-up PCR test [when a traveller tests positive]. Then the savings we hoped for won’t be achieved. “A supervised lateral flow test
4 30 SEPTEMBER 2021
might cost as much as a non- supervised PCR test, particularly if the cost of a follow-up PCR test is shared.” It’s understood follow-up PCR tests for travellers testing positive will be free to ensure they are taken and samples can be sequenced. Transport secretary Grant Shapps
told MPs on the Transport Select Committee last week: “I want the announcement out as quickly as possible. I appreciate the urgency.” He told The Sun: “I look forward
to the expansion of lateral flow tests, perhaps into supermarkets.” Yet according to the source:
“The test result has to match up to the Passenger Locator Form or it defeats the purpose. That precludes a mass-market test provider, so they’re looking at existing test providers and the cost won’t be as cheap. “We’re awaiting details of how
it will work. The delay is due to ensuring systems work and operate together. They keep saying we’ll hear soon – we hope in a matter of days. The point that we need this in time for the school half-term has hit home.” So far there has been no
confirmation that day-two lateral flow tests will need to be
supervised, but no denial. Media reports suggested the
UK and EU Covid certificates could soon be integrated to allow mutual recognition, with an EC spokesman confirming “significant progress”. There were also reports the government could end hotel quarantine for vaccinated arrivals from red list countries after Ireland abandoned the policy. However, the source said: “The
UK red list is being looked at but the government has not been minded to follow other countries before and we can’t see them doing so now.”
travelweekly.co.uk The time has
come for a review of the risk assessments that underpin FCDO advice
of vaccines and certification. We have a patchwork across the world and it needs to be harmonised. There is a lot of work to be done on government policy and restrictions.” Speaking at Global Travel Week
in London on Monday, Abta director of industry relations Susan Deer said: “There could be situations where there is still a risk in a destination [and] we know the FCDO considers other criteria, for example the hospital
capacity in a destination. But with 100 countries with advice against leisure travel, the time has come for a review of the risk assessments that underpin FCDO advice.” Scotland confirmed it would align
its test requirements with England last week and Wales followed suit on Monday although only in removing pre-departure tests. Welsh health minister Eluned Morgan said the UK government decision to replace day- two PCR tests for vaccinated travellers with lateral flow tests was “concerning”. Tanzer said: “I wrote to all
three first ministers urging them to coordinate across the UK. It’s unsustainable to have a different
public health travel policy.” i Interview: Mark Tanzer, page 8
PICTURE: Shutterstock/Viacheslav Lopatin
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