UK likely to allow fully vaccinated travellers entry without PCR

Monday, September 13, 2021

Fully vaccinated travellers are likely to be allowed to return to the UK without the need of PCR testing. Ministers are planning to allow double-jabbed travellers to avoid costly PCR tests upon their return back at home. Scrapping the rule is likely to allow the travel industry to compete with EU countries which no longer require the test.

A review of the traffic light system is also expected at the end of the week, and could see it simplified to red or green lists. Turkey is expected to be taken off the “red list” this week avoiding the need to spend ten days in quarantine in a hotel on return. The move, barring a last-minute change, will let British tourists take advantage of October half-term and visit hotspots such as Kaputas Beach.

Nearly two million UK tourists visited Turkey in 2019 before the pandemic hit the country. Ministers are currently exploring new rules which will likely bring an end to the traffic light system in near future. Green and amber countries would be put on just one list with a separate red list for high-risk destinations.

A new system is being developed that will be based on the vaccination status of the traveller rather than the third country’s COVID status. The review could come as early as this week but officials have reportedly said that a formal checkpoint will take place by October 1. The UK tourism and airline industry have suffered largely due COVID-19 related restrictions.

Expensive PCR tests have also discouraged families from heading abroad and opting to stay in the UK. Ex-Transport Secretary Lord McLoughlin this week said double-jabbed Brits must be allowed to travel abroad without the testing restrictions.

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