A lawmaker warned the government that it was taking risks with the new travel announcement.
Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion since the 2010 general election, spoke out against the new travel plans, suggesting the government could “make the same mistakes”.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed that Britons who have received the two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine can avoid quarantine when they return from ‘orange list’ destinations from July 19.
The move will allow fully vaccinated travelers to vacation to European destinations, which will hopefully boost the travel industry.
He also confirmed that children under the age of 18 would not have to isolate themselves.
However, a pre-departure lateral flow test … a coronavirus test that you do yourself that shows you the result on a portable device will still be required.
PCR testing is also required. This involves taking a sample from the inside of the nose and the back of the throat, using a long cotton swab, which is more reliable.
Ms Lucas, who is also the vice-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on the coronavirus, said: ‘The government risks repeating the same mistakes that allowed the Delta variant to take hold in the UK.
“Urgent measures are needed to reduce queues at airports before international travel is more open, including upgrading electronic gates and digitizing test results.
“We also need to ensure that inbound traveler test results are verified for new variants so that dangerous new Covid mutations do not fall through the cracks.
“Abandoning quarantine without these additional protections in place risks leaving the country dangerously exposed to new variants that could undo our hard-earned progress against the virus. ”
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Source: www.theargus.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-07-08 19:15:00
