https://www.thetimes.co.uk/art...3effc787e08cd2a88ef5

Britain’s travel red list will be scrapped at 4am tomorrow, meaning arrivals from 11 African countries will no longer have to quarantine in a hotel.

Sajid Javid, the health secretary, said that the 11-night hotel quarantine had become less effective at taming Omicron because the strain was already spreading rapidly in Britain. All other testing measures for arrivals will remain until a review in the first week of January.

He said he had asked for “urgent advice” about whether people who are currently in hotel quarantine can be released early. In the past they have been required to fulfil their isolation period but Javid indicated that he did not want a repeat of that.

Shortly after the new coronavirus variant was first reported in South Africa last month ministers put ten countries on the red list: South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Swaziland and Zambia. Nigeria was added last Tuesday.

Anyone over the age of 12 must still take a pre-departure test in the two days before returning to Britain from any country. On arrival vaccinated people must take a PCR test and isolate until they receive a negative result. Unvaccinated arrivals must isolate for ten days.

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Tim Alderslade, chief executive of the industry body Airlines UK, said: “Removing these countries from the red list makes complete sense but doesn’t go nearly far enough.

“If the red list isn’t necessary given that Omicron is established here at home, then neither are the costly emergency testing and isolation measures imposed on even fully vaccinated travellers, which again put us completely at odds with the rest of Europe. It is testing that is the deterrent to travel, not the relatively limited red list.”

Sajid Javid is looking into refunding people who are in hotel quarantine now
Sajid Javid is looking into refunding people who are in hotel quarantine now
TOM NICHOLSON/PA
Asked whether people in hotel quarantine would have their costs refunded, Javid said: “I would love to stand here right now and just say that is the case, but there are some issues that need to be resolved, and they are urgently being looked at. I hope we can say something more on this as a government, potentially even as early as today.”

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If the rules do not change the last arrivals will enter hotel quarantine tonight. It means they will leave on Christmas morning.

David Frost, chief executive of South Africa Tourism Services, said: “This is welcome news but it’s clear that red-listing southern Africa for just three weeks caused incalculable damage to jobs and livelihoods in the region, with little discernible benefit to health outcomes in the UK. The British government must now consign this blunt instrument to history and recognise the devastating impact red lists have to confidence amongst the travelling public.”

Alderslade added: “The government has admitted that the measures introduced are disastrous for the travel sector, and the science says they aren’t now required.

“The health secretary says he wants to act quickly to remove unnecessary restrictions, and we implore him to make good on this by scrapping testing as soon as possible, otherwise the key Christmas and New Year booking period will be fatally undermined. This is make or break for UK aviation.”

Maybe that's the beginning of more good news. Hopefully the US will follow. That's what is needed.

quote:

Originally posted by Bama15:
Maybe that's the beginning of more good news. Hopefully the US will follow. That's what is needed.

Well, have to say that the decision has finally shown some common sense. Variant is across the entire Europe, so pointless to have the border closed now. Same has to be said for the USA, but how fast can they realize and act on this.

With Fauxi and Biden?
Don’t count on it as they are two old fucks drunk on power and clueless about regular people and businesses as they always made money of other people’s taxes

Seems like they still need to take a PCR test upon arrival and isolate until it is negative if vaccinated, 10 day quarantine if not vaccinated.

Still a hassle for people coming from Africa.

Earlier, I read another report that indicated this pertains to only UK citizens. Maybe I misread?

With Bouncing Boris in charge, don't hold your breath.

That idiot is controlled by a Greenie Blonde Bimbo!