England to lift quarantine requirement for vaccinated visitors from US and EU

LONDON • American and European Union travellers who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will no longer need to spend 10 days in quarantine after they arrive in England from Aug 2.

Under plans backed by British ministers yesterday, international leisure cruises will also resume after being put on hold for more than a year.

The reforms to travel rules will allow visitors from the United States and most EU countries to enter the United Kingdom on the same basis as Britons who have received both Covid-19 shots.

British residents are no longer required to self-isolate when returning from most medium-risk countries. The rule change takes effect at 4am on Monday and initially applies to England, though other nations in the United Kingdom have generally followed suit on international travel.

"Whether you are a family reuniting for the first time since the start of the pandemic or a business benefiting from increased trade, this is progress we can all enjoy," Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said.

He added that the move will "start to rebuild key transatlantic routes".

The plans will deliver a significant boost to Britain's aviation and travel sector, which has lagged the recovery in continental Europe.

This summer, American tourists on European holidays have largely bypassed Britain to avoid quarantines. And while vaccinated Britons can travel with less hassle to Spain or Portugal, EU residents have not been able to easily get to tourist attractions like the Tower of London.

While Britain's decision will ease the barriers to travel from the US, the Biden administration is not likely to reciprocate any time soon. Last week, the US advised Americans to avoid travelling to Britain because of a surge in coronavirus infections.

"We want people to be able to come from the US freely in a way that they normally do. We're talking to them the whole time," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in an interview with LBC radio yesterday. "At the moment we're dealing with a Delta wave, the US is dealing with a Delta wave, but be assured that we are on it the whole time."

As Mr Johnson's government has eased restrictions in recent weeks, interest in foreign holidays has surged, especially for Britons aiming to visit neighbouring European destinations.

Low-cost carriers such as Ryanair, EasyJet and Wizz Air have added capacity, though most of the action is still in the EU.

Britain's easing means more relief is on its way. "This is absolutely positive," Wizz chief executive Jozsef Varadi said in an interview, referring to EU-UK travel. "It's a move that is long overdue and needed to happen. It makes sense for both parties."

Under rules that went into effect this month, Britons with both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine no longer have to be quarantined for 10 days after returning home from more than 100 countries on the so-called "amber list" of medium-risk locations.

Instead they must take Covid-19 tests before setting off on their journeys back to Britain and again after arriving. Passengers need to show proof of their Covid-19 status via vaccine passports.

BLOOMBERG