Isolation rules have been eased for fully-vaccinated international arrivals in the UK to replicate general quarantine regulations across the country.
Restrictions apply to those who return a positive result on a PCR test taken up to day two after arriving in the UK.
However, the UK Government has cut the self-isolation period from 10 to seven days -if travellers can provide a negative lateral flow test on days six and seven of quarantine.
Those who test negative on day two following arrival in the UK are free of self-isolation. Anyone not fully-vaccinated must quarantine for 10 full days - whatever the test result.
The Department for Transport has updated travel quarantine guidelines, stating on its website: “If you’re fully vaccinated you must take a Covid-19 PCR test on or before day 2 after you arrive in England. If the test result is negative, you can end your quarantine immediately.
“If your PCR test result is positive, you usually have to self-isolate for 10 full days. The day you took the test is day 0.
“You can stop self-isolating after 7 days if you do a rapid lateral flow test on days 6 and 7 of your self-isolation period and:
- both tests are negative
- you did both tests at least 24 hours apart
- you do not have a high temperature
“If you do a rapid lateral flow test on day six and test positive, wait 24 hours before you do the next test.”
Hopes that the UK Government would ease its Covid testing regime for travel have have been pushed back to the end of January following the emergence of the Omicron variant.
A review of restrictions was scheduled for January 5, with calls for Boris Johnson's government to drop requirements for fully vaccinated travellers to take both a pre-departure and post-arrival PCR test.
Several European nations have banned UK tourists amid the emergence of the Omicron variant of coronavirus.
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.
