Remaining UK travel restrictions SCRAPPED

The UK’s Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Schnapps announced on 14 March 2022 that all remaining pandemic era travel restrictions would be scrapped just in time for Easter travel. The announcement lifting remaining UK travel restrictions came on his official Twitter feed:

UK TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS ON UNVACCINATED TRAVELERS LIFTED

At present, UK travel restrictions meant unvaccinated visitors have had to take a PCR test for COVID-19, complete a Passenger Locator Form to facilitate contact tracing for authorities, and to undertake a follow up PCR test on arrival within the UK. As of 4am 18 March 2022, none of this will be necessary and unvaccinated travel to the UK will be fully possible.

Government managed mandatory quarantine programmes will be shuttered at the end of March 2022, reflecting the approaching end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tim Alderslade, Chief Executive of Airlines UK, said:

Today’s announcement sends a clear message to the world – the UK travel sector is back. With travellers returning to the UK no longer burdened by unnecessary forms and testing requirements, we can now look forward to the return to pre-COVID normality throughout the travel experience. We’re grateful for the timing of the announcement as we prepare to welcome back passengers this Easter and summer, for which we know there is huge pent-up demand, and for the UK’s leadership in being the first major aviation market to remove all remaining restrictions. The time to return to the skies – to enjoy all that makes aviation and international travel great, for families and businesses – is now.

UK GOVERNMENT OPTIMISTIC

But it is not only the travel industry that’s rejoicing. Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid was also positive about the decision to lift the UK travel restrictions:

As we learn to live with COVID-19, we’re taking further steps to open up international travel once again ahead of the Easter holidays. We will continue monitoring and tracking potential new variants and keep a reserve of measures that can be rapidly deployed if needed to keep us safe. We can remove these final restrictions thanks to the incredible success of our vaccination programme, which has seen more than 8 out of 10 adults across the UK boosted.

It certainly looks like the pandemic is drawing to a close and the world returns to an ‘old normal’!