LONDON, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The British government will remove all remaining COVID restrictions on international travel for all passengers ahead of the Easter holiday, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced Monday.
From 4 a.m. local time the coming Friday, all COVID-19 travel restrictions will be lifted, including the passenger locator form for arrivals into Britain, as well as all tests for passengers who do not qualify as vaccinated.
Therefore, holidaymakers will be able to enter Britain without any restrictions for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Currently, only fully vaccinated arrivals can enter the country without the need for tests. But they must fill out a passenger locator form within 72 hours of travel.
Karen Dee, Chief Executive of Airport Operators Association, welcomed the announcement, saying that "a return to restriction-free travel is good news for passengers and should allow for aviation to take significant steps towards recovery."
The move comes as coronavirus infections are rising in all four UK regions for the first time since the end of January, with Scotland already reporting record-high infection data, according to the latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics.
Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at Kings College London, told Sky News, "It is disappointing that as we hit record levels of COVID, Grant Shapps is saying it's safe."
Official figures on Monday showed Britain added 444,201 COVID-19 cases and 726 deaths over the last seven days. The total caseload in Britain is 19,700,952, with total deaths at 162,873.
More than 91 percent of people aged 12 and above in Britain have had their first dose of vaccine, more than 85 percent have received both shots and more than 67 percent have received booster jabs. ■
