Fully vaccinated UK residents to be allowed to return to England quarantine-free – POLITICO

Fully vaccinated adults living in the U.K. will be allowed to travel to a host of countries without having to self-isolate on their return to England, the government announced.

U.K. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told MPs Thursday morning that the new scheme will start on July 19. It will make traveling to countries on the U.K.’s amber-list — which currently includes France, Spain and Italy — an easier deal, but comes amid worries loosening restrictions will result in a surge of coronavirus cases.

“U.K. residents who are fully vaccinated through the U.K. vaccine rollout will no longer have to self-isolate when they return to England,” Shapps said in a House of Commons statement.

Travelers are currently required to self-isolate for 10 days after returning from amber-list countries. Starting on July 19, those returning to England will still be required to take a test three days before their return, Shapps said, and a PCR test two days later. But the self-isolation requirement is being dropped. The government considers people to be fully vaccinated if they have waited at least 14 days after their second vaccine dose. Restrictions remain the same for red-list countries.

The easing of travel restrictions will coincide with the U.K government revoking most COVID-19 restrictions in the country on 19 July. The new scheme applies to all U.K. residents, but its implementation outside of England is up to the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments, who Shapps said would also be working for a “safe, sustainable and robust return to international travel.”

The transport secretary said London is also looking to “welcome international visitors back to the U.K.” promising an update soon on plans to “extend our approach to vaccinated passengers from important markets and holiday destinations later this summer,” including the United States and the European Union.