July 28 (UPI) — Fully vaccinated travelers from the European Union and United States will no longer have to quarantine upon entering Britain beginning next month, the British government announced Wednesday.
Transport Minister Grant Shapps said vaccinated people from those countries can enter Britain directly without spending 10 full days in quarantine starting Monday.
Fully vaccinated British residents returning home from visiting so-called “amber” countries also won’t have to quarantine. Countries on Britain’s amber list have less severe outbreaks of COVID-19.
“We’re helping reunite people living in the U.S. and European countries with their family and friends in the U.K.,” Shapps tweeted.
He said fully vaccinated travelers must still have a pre-departure COVID-19 test before arriving and must take a polymerase chain reaction test on their second day in Britain.
The country is also restarting international cruises.
“Whether you’re a family or a business, this is progress we can all enjoy,” Shapps said.
The news comes two days after London’s Heathrow Airport said it would start accepting travelers from the United States who have received a COVID-19 vaccine.
On Monday, the United States also announced it would keep its existing travel restrictions in place, banning most non-Americans from entering the country from Britain.
