Fiona Govan
FULLY vaccinated passengers and children arriving in England from non-red list countries such as Spain will be able to take a cheaper lateral flow test instead of a PCR test from October 24.
The British government had said it would introduce the changes but only confirmed the date as October 24 on Thursday, meaning the new rules will kick in time for half-term holidays.
The new rules mean it will be considerably cheaper to perform the compulsory Day 2 test on arrival to England from non-red list countries.
Although the rules only apply to England and not Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland they may well be rolled out there in the coming weeks.
Passengers will still have to book the tests ahead of their flight and include the booking code in the Passenger Locator Form.
Lateral flow tests will still have to be bought privately and list a of approved private providers will be posted on gov.uk on October 22.
However, travellers who are not fully vaccinated will still need to take a PCR test on day two after arriving and must quarantine for 10 days at home.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said it would make travel easier and simpler.
“Taking away expensive mandatory PCR testing will boost the travel industry and is a major step forward in normalising international travel and encouraging people to book holidays with confidence,” he said.
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