Vaccinated travelers from EU and US are exempted from quarantine

The rules for entering England have been relaxed. The British government has announced that from 4 a.m. on Monday (3 a.m. GMT), travelers from the European Union and the United States who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be exempt from quarantine upon arrival in the Kingdom. – United. “We are helping people living in the United States and European countries to reconnect with family and friends in the United Kingdom,” Transport Minister Grant Shapps said on Twitter.

For countries classified as “orange”, that is, for most tourist destinations including the European Union and the United States, the United Kingdom has so far imposed a quarantine of between five and 10 days on all travelers, as well as expensive tests have done. England was exempting travelers vaccinated by the British Health Service from quarantine, but not those vaccinated abroad, much to the dismay of British expatriates in countries for which it is very difficult to return home. From now on, England will apply similar measures to those vaccinated in the European Union or the United States.

french exception

Unfortunately, this new measure announced by the British government does not apply to France at all due to the presence of a beta version. “Different rules will continue to apply for arrivals from France,” the ministry said in a statement. A PCR test will be mandatory for two days after arrival.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday that he wants “people to be able to move freely from the United States, as they normally would”. But the United States has announced that it is closing its borders to international travelers, despite calls for reciprocity, especially from Europeans, who have decided to reopen its borders to Americans. on the condition that they have been vaccinated against Covid-19 or have had a negative test.

“Careless” to some, “a helping hand” to others

The Labor opposition, through the voice of its number two Angela Renner, considered the easing announced on Wednesday “inconsistent”, worrying about the risk of importing the new variants. Health Minister Sajid Javid, however, defended a measure made possible by the success of vaccination campaigns in the United Kingdom (more than 70% of fully vaccinated adults) as in the European Union and the United States, which were “a boost”. will bring. Economy”.

The CBI Employers’ Federation declared the announcements “as a significant boost to the tourism sector, while restoring vital business relationships with key business partners”. Airlines have expressed their satisfaction in a hurry to resume juicy transatlantic exchanges and services to Mediterranean beaches. However, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have asked the government to proceed by classifying more countries on the green list, which should not submit any passengers to quarantine.

The measures announced by London also do not pertain to countries classified as “red” by London (India, the United Arab Emirates, South America, etc.), from which only residents of the United Kingdom can return by following an expensive quarantine at their own cost. can come. Dedicated Hotel.

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