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All Travellers Arriving Into England Will Have To Test Negative To Covid-19 Before Entering

All Travellers Arriving Into England Will Have To Test Negative To Covid-19 Before Entering

The test must be done up to 72 hours before the flight and you can cop a £500 fine if you refuse.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

The UK has introduced a new rule to ensure everyone entering England isn't infectious with the coronavirus.

All travellers will be required to undergo a Covid-19 test before they arrive and they must test negative, according to Sky News.

The test will be required up to 72 hours before departure and those who try and avoid the test can be fined up to £500.

The new measure will apply to all travellers, including UK nationals, and will be done for everyone who arrives by boat, plane and train.

In addition to the test, people flooding into England will also have to fill out a Passenger Locator Form.

PA

The Department for Transport is hoping the measure will be instrumental in preventing new strains of the virus, like those found in South Africa and Denmark, don't leak into the UK.

There is already a Covid-19 mutation that has been wreaking havoc in the UK and authorities are doing everything they can to stop another from doing similar damage.

Sky News reports that all passengers coming from countries that aren't on the government's travel list will still be required to self-isolate for 10 days, regardless of their test result.

If they pay for another test on or after the fifth full day after arrival, they can cut down that isolation period to as little as five days.

PA

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: "We already have significant measures in place to prevent imported cases of COVID-19, but with new strains of the virus developing internationally we must take further precautions.

"Taken together with the existing mandatory self-isolation period for passengers returning from high-risk countries, pre-departure tests will provide a further line of defence - helping us control the virus as we roll out the vaccine at pace over the coming weeks."

Border Force officials will be on hand to check everyone's result and ensure it is negative.

The mandatory test before arrival only applies to England at the moment, however the Department for Transport is currently communicating with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to introduce similar rules.

Britain's chief executive of the industry body Airlines UK, Tim Alderslade, said: "We recognise the government's need to act now and support the introduction of pre-departure testing in order to keep the country safe and borders open.

"However, this should be a short-term, emergency measure only and once the rollout of the vaccine accelerates, the focus must be on returning travel to normal as quickly as possible in order to support the UK's economic recovery.

"This includes removing the need to quarantine or test as the UK population is vaccinated and the virus is brought under control at home and abroad."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: News