Covid tests to be scrapped for fully vaccinated travellers ‘before half-term’

Vaccinated travellers will soon no longer be required to take Covid tests to come into the country, Boris Johnson has announced.

Those arriving in England currently have to take a day two test if they are double jabbed.

But the prime minister said this restriction will be axed in the coming weeks as Omicron cases fall.

He did not confirm an exact date, but said it is likely to happen before the February half-term break in what will be a boost for families.

Speaking to broadcasters during a visit to the Academic Centre, Milton Keynes Hospital, he said: ‘We have, thanks to the tough decisions, the big calls that we made… the most open economy and society in Europe.

‘And although we have to be cautious, we are now moving through the Omicron wave, and you can see the figures are starting to get better.

‘So what we’re doing on travel, 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 have been vaccinated, if they have been double vaccinated.’

The move will make travelling cheaper, with Day 2 lateral flow tests from private suppliers costing around £20.

Arrivals who are not fully vaccinated must take a pre-departure test and two post-arrival PCR tests, which are more expensive. They must also self-isolate for 10 days.

It comes after the PM confirmed England’s Plan B restrictions will be scrapped on January 27.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

For more stories like this, check our news page.