Fully jabbed arrivals in England may not need tests

LONDON • The British government is set to drop compulsory coronavirus tests for those arriving in England, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said, as he continues to lift curbs amid falling infections.

London now requires British and other citizens arriving in England from most countries to take a lateral flow test within two days.

Mr Johnson, who last week announced the easing of almost all domestic restrictions after several weeks of falling case rates, noted the change would apply only to fully vaccinated individuals.

"To show that this country is open for business, open for travellers, you will see changes so that people arriving no longer have to take tests if they've been vaccinated," he said on Monday.

Mr Johnson did not specify a date for the change. He noted that this will apply only to arrivals who have been "double vaccinated".

The British government sets health policy for England, while devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland administer their own rules.

Mr Johnson earlier this month scrapped the need for arrivals in England to have pre-departure tests and to quarantine until they have tested negative. That had been mandated last month after Britain saw a fresh surge in cases due to the arrival of the Omicron variant in late November.

Mr Johnson said Omicron is now so prevalent that enhanced testing for arrivals has a "limited impact" on cases while imposing "significant costs on our travel industry".

Britain, which is one of the countries worst hit by the pandemic in Europe with a virus death toll of nearly 154,000, has seen new cases fall dramatically from record daily levels late last month.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE