Travellers arriving in England will be able to end their quarantine period with a negative coronavirus test after five days from December 15 — if they pay for it.
Under the new rules announced by the government on Tuesday, passengers who arrive from a destination not on the government’s travel corridors list will still need to enter self-isolation.
But they can reduce the 14-day period by paying for a test from a private firm after five days at a cost of £65-£120. If their test comes back negative, they will be able to leave quarantine.
Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, said the plan was to “focus on what we can now do to bolster international travel while keeping the public safe”.
“Our new testing strategy will allow us to travel more freely, see loved ones and drive international business,” he said.
“By giving people the choice to test on day five, we are also supporting the travel industry as it continues to rebuild out of the pandemic.”
Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said the reason people would have to pay for a private Covid-19 test was to “protect the capacity of NHS Test and Trace and ensure that any UK resident who has symptoms is able to get a test”.
International holidays are currently banned from England until at least December 2, when the national four-week lockdown ends.
The government also announced it will introduce new financial support for English airports and ground handling firms in the New Year.
The support will cover business rates liabilities up to £8 million at each site.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “The aviation industry is vital to our economy – creating jobs and driving growth- which is why we have supported them throughout this crisis through the job retention scheme, loans and tax deferrals.
“This new package of support for airports, alongside a new testing regime for international arrivals, will help the sector take off once again as we build back better from the pandemic.”
It came after Boris Johnson unveiled a new three tiered system of local restrictions which will come into force until the end of March.
The prime minister said the new tiers would be tougher than their predecessors, after government scientific advisers said the previous regime did not do enough to tackle the virus.