PEOPLE in England can “start to think” about booking overseas summer holidays, according to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.
The Cabinet minister said it is the first time in “many months” he was not advising against booking foreign trips.
His comments came just five days after Downing Street published a document which urged people “not to book summer holidays abroad until the picture is clearer”.
Just three days ago First Minister Nicola Sturgeon played down the chances of foreign holidays, saying banning non-essential overseas trip is a “price we have to pay” for more domestic freedom for now.
She pointed to increased Covid-19 cases in European countries like France, which have prompted fresh lockdowns on the mainland.
"Things in many parts of Europe are going in the wrong direction again. That would say to me the caution on international travel is more important, not less important,” she said.
Currently it is only legal to travel to Scotland if you have an essential reason. If you do not, you will likely have to self-isolate in a hotel or at home for at least 10 days after arrival.
Last year, a report to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said UK and international travel “reignited” the virus after it was suppressed.
“Once as a society we are allowed to travel again, we brought fresh new strains into Scotland, which started our second wave,” national clinical director Jason Leitch said at the time.
READ MORE: Scotland's second Covid wave caused by UK and overseas travel, experts say
Today, Shapps announced a “framework” for the resumption of overseas leisure travel - including requiring all arrivals to take pre-departure and post-arrival coronavirus tests.
Post-arrival tests must be the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) type which cost about £120, he said.
This led to a furious backlash from the travel industry, which wants travellers returning from low-risk countries to be allowed to take the cheaper and quicker lateral flow tests.
Asked if people could start to book foreign holidays now, Shapps told Sky News: “I’m not telling people that they shouldn’t book summer holidays now, it’s the first time that I’ve been able to say that for many months.”
He said he was looking to “drive down the costs” of tests required for international travel to resume.
“Costs are definitely a concern, it’s one of the factors this year, and we have to accept we’re still going through a global pandemic,” he said.
READ MORE: Covid: Foreign holidays from UK 'extremely unlikely' this summer, expert warns
“And so we do have to be cautious and I’m afraid that does involve having to have some tests and the like.
“But, I am undertaking today to drive down the costs of those tests and looking at some innovative things we could do.”
EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren said the requirement for PCR tests was “a blow to all travellers” and risked “making flying only for the wealthy”.
He added: “As the rest of British society and the economy opens up, it makes no sense to treat travel, particularly to low-risk countries, differently.”
Mark Tanzer, boss of travel trade organisation Abta, said permitting the use of lateral flow tests would “make international travel more accessible and affordable whilst still providing an effective mitigation against reimportation of the virus”.
Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, the industry body representing UK-registered carriers, said the announcement “does not represent a reopening of travel as promised by ministers”.
READ MORE: Coronavirus in Scotland: Nicola Sturgeon rejects Douglas Ross demand
The Department for Transport (DfT) refused to confirm whether foreign holidays will be permitted from May 17, which is the earliest date under the Prime Minister’s road map for easing coronavirus restrictions in England.
It also insisted it was “too early to predict which countries will be on which list” under a new risk-based traffic light system, with an “initial assessment” to be produced “by early May”.
People arriving in England from a “green” country will not be required to self-isolate, but those entering the UK from an “amber” destination must quarantine for 10 days.
Existing rules for arrivals from “red” locations will continue, including the requirement to pay to enter a quarantine hotel.
These restrictions will be “formally reviewed” on June 28 to take account of “the domestic and international health picture and to see whether current measures could be rolled back”, the DfT added.
Further reviews will take place no later than July 31 and October 1.
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