The UK is reportedly planning to introduce an in-airport Covid-19 testing arrangement amid increasing pressures from airlines and travel companies to scrap the current quarantine rules.
According to a Financial Times report, the UK Government is assessing the feasibility of moving to a system where passengers will be tested for Covid-19 when they arrive at British airports.
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The move may reduce the need for passengers to remain in self-isolation from 14 days to a minimum of seven.
Under the new system, passengers will be tested twice, once they land and again a week later. If the results of both tests are negative, they can break their quarantine after seven days.
UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told Sky News: “You probably have to have some kind of quarantine period here, perhaps seven or eight days, maybe a test then. But these are the things we’re working through at the moment.”
However, Shapps did not provide a time frame for the introduction of the new testing regime.
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By GlobalDataThis comes after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson endorsed the current quarantine system as the airport system will not be effective in identifying all virus cases.
The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the global aviation industry, with revenues anticipated to shrink by 60% compared to the projected baseline (pre-Covid-19 forecast for 2020).
To support the recovery of the sector, the airline industry has called for an airport testing regime, which, if not negative, will reduce the need of a 14-day quarantine period.
