U.K. Defends New Covid Tests That Riled Travel Industry
- Mandatory pre-entry tests added to day-two test requirement
- British Airways says move ‘out of step’ with rest of the world
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The U.K.’s decision to force all travelers entering the country to take a pre-flight Covid-19 test, threatening to upend the peak Christmas season for airlines, reflects a “balanced approach” given the threat of the omicron variant, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab.
The government announced last night that all travelers, regardless of their vaccine status, will have to take a Covid test within 48 hours of their departure for the U.K. The move comes a week after the first omicron cases were confirmed in the U.K., which prompted the government to require PCR test within two days of arrival.