Today the Department for Transport confirmed that people arriving in England from more than 50 countries will not have to quarantine for the previously suggested two weeks, this comes into effect 10 July.
The Foreign Office will also be changing its advice against all non-essential foreign travel from Saturday.
The Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps has said that the 50 plus exempt countries would be labelled as either amber or green, all amber countries, including France, Germany, Italy and Spain, would have agreements in place meaning travellers would not have quarantine upon their arrival there either.
Most passengers will still be required to provide contact information on arrival in the UK, including countries they have visited within 14 days.
This announcement will be a huge boost to the aviation and hospitality industry and will be the first step to recovery for those businesses. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) report that the Coronavirus crisis could cost the aviation industry up to $113 Billion.
Commenting on the government’s announcement of quarantine-free travel with a specified list of ‘low-risk’ countries, BCC Director General Dr Adam Marshall said:
“Businesses will be pleased to see the back of the UK government’s damaging blanket quarantine policy, but they will also be asking a lot of questions about its replacement.
“It’s taken far too long for the exemption list to appear, and the fact that it does not initially apply to all four nations of the UK will put regional connectivity and regional economies at risk. Neither the process nor the outcome inspires confidence, either here at home or with our partners globally.
“While these changes will give some businesses a fighting chance to make up for months of lost income, the job is not yet done. This isn’t just about summer holidays. Ministers need to focus on restoring connections and confidence with key trading partners all across the world.”
For advice and guidance on the support available to your business, please visit our Coronavirus Business Support Hub.