A £50 coronavirus test at airports would end the threat of an extended quarantine and encourage people to go on holiday abroad, travel experts say.
Families on breaks in hotspots not on the UK’s travel corridor list – including France, Spain and Portugal – must quarantine for two weeks when they get back, to help curb the spread of Covid-19.
The threat of abrupt, Government-ordered self-isolation has led millions to opt for a UK break instead.
Downing Street refused to deny that a fresh crackdown could soon see tourists returning from Croatia and Greece forced to quarantine after increases in cases in those countries.
However, travel expert Paul Charles of the PC Agency is urging the Government to adopt Iceland’s airport testing scheme, subsidising the cost so passengers pay £50.
Visitors there can book a swab test on arrival instead of going into quarantine for 14 days.
They must self-isolate for five days before taking a second test, which is free, at a medical centre. If both tests are negative, they can carry on as normal.
Total quarantine could be less than seven days.
Paul said: “We have to bring this system to the UK as soon as possible.
“We cannot go on with this 14-day system, which is unworkable and causing anxiety among consumers who are losing money.
“Adopting the Iceland system here would be a game-changer.
“It is far better than the damage being done to the economy by quarantine measures.”
Rob Griggs of Airlines UK said: “The UK urgently needs a testing regime as an alternative to quarantine.
“Countries like Germany have already introduced a free, one-test system for arrivals where, once you’ve had a negative result, you can leave isolation.
“This is critical not just for opening up hugely important markets like the US but also for travel closer to home.
“We are at real risk of falling behind on testing and the Government needs to get a move on.”
Airports across the country could offer a 90-second Covid-19 test, costing £150, to passengers arriving from virus hotspots.
They could be checked on site and the results would take up to seven hours to process.
They would then take a follow-up test at home five to eight days later.
Heathrow Airport wants to use a testing facility in Terminal 2.
Its chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: “Testing will not only avoid the ‘quarantine roulette’ that so many passengers faced in Spain and France, it will also open up flights to trading partners such as the US, Canada and Singapore.
“This facility is an oven-ready opportunity to see how Britain can safely reopen for business, as other countries are doing.”
The devastating impact the pandemic is having on travel was reinforced yesterday as easyJet confirmed job cuts and Ryanair slashed the number of flights by a fifth for September and October, emailed passengers to tell them their options after forward bookings “notably weakened”.
A spokesman said: “These capacity cuts and frequency reductions are unavoidable given the recent weakness in forward bookings due to Covid restrictions in a number of EU countries.”
Jet2 announced that 102 of its pilots will be made redundant.
The Association of British Travel Agents said there are still options for those who want to go on holiday.
A spokesman for the trade association said: “There are a number of popular destinations where customers can travel without the need to self-quarantine.
“Countries such as Estonia and Finland have recently been added to this list.
“If customers need an extra level of reassurance, they should book a package holiday, because their tour operator will offer the options of rebooking or a refund should the Foreign Office advise against travel to their holiday destination.”
