Quarantine on Arrival in UK Will Soon Drop to Five Days

This year has no doubt been difficult for anyone travelling. Whether you travel for work or leisure, the issue of border closures, mandatory quarantines and, ya know, the ongoing pandemic have made it nearly impossible. The United Kingdom has been one of the many countries around the globe to require a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival. However, that’s about to change. Travellers headed to Britain soon will not be subjected to a 2-week compulsory quarantine. Instead, the 14-day quarantine will be reduced to five days.

Quarantine on Arrival in UK Will Soon Drop to Five Days

In early November Boris Johnson announced a second lockdown for the United Kingdom following a sharp increase in covid cases. Due to this, virtually no travel can take place in or out of the UK until the lockdown is lifted. The lockdown, which will presumably end on December 2, will come with a whole host of tighter tier systems to replace the restrictions. One of them will be the reduction of quarantine time.

The new quarantine will function as a ‘test and release’ scheme. It’ll go like this, once arrived in Britain, travellers will quarantine for five days. After those five days, they’ll need to take a covid test. If it’s negative, they will be released from isolation right away. Additionally, the tests will have a fast-turnaround of under an hour.

Are the new quarantine measures hope for a revival of the tourism sect?

It’s no secret that this pandemic has crippled the global flying industry. This adjustment to quarantine comes after the arrival of one-hour tests for departures from Heathrow in October. Once the lockdown is (hopefully) over in December, the hope is that the ease of regulations on quarantine will help revive the tourism industry throughout the UK. According to a study done in August by the World Travel and Tourism Council, the UK could lose upwards of £22 billion in tourism-related revenue this year due to the Coronavirus. WTTC President Gloria Guevara said it best with this statement. “The economic pain and suffering caused to millions of households across the UK, who are dependent upon travel and tourism for their livelihoods, is evident from the latest figures.”

The economic turmoil caused by the pandemic goes far beyond the realms of the United Kingdom, too with the entire globe feeling the brunt. While it’s hard to say just how big a boost the new measures will give to tourism; it’s certainly a step in the right direction.

Melanie Hamilton

Melanie is an avid traveller with a passion for history and global foods. She is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia where most of her time is occupied with qvevri wine and Soviet history. Having do-si-do'd her way across Europe and Latin America, she's enjoyed some of the world's most exciting places firsthand and can't wait to tell you about them.

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