Fully vaccinated Americans can visit England and Scotland without quarantining beginning Monday, a long-awaited change for travelers.
“We’re helping reunite people living in the US and European countries with their family and friends in the UK,” Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced on Twitter.
The updated travel requirements from the U.K. government applied only to England, but authorities from Scotland – which sets its own policies – said the country would also waive its 10-day isolation period requirement for fully vaccinated people from the European Union and U.S. starting Monday.
Northern Ireland and Wales had yet to announce plans to end their quarantine mandate as of Wednesday afternoon.
The lifting of the England quarantine requirement comes just a week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. State Department recommended against travel to the United Kingdom due to rising COVD case counts.
U.S. citizens have been allowed to travel to the U.K. during the pandemic but faced travel restrictions, including coronavirus testing requirements and quarantine.
Requirements for travel to England from US
Under the relaxed rules for vaccinated Americans and Europeans, visitors to England and Scotland will still be subject to COVID testing requirements.
Both countries require a pre-departure test as well as a test upon arrival. The latter must be taken by day two of the trip. Vaccinated Americans must also provide proof of U.S. residency and fill out a passenger locator form.
Travelers returning to the United States must also still show a negative coronavirus test or recent recovery from COVID-19 to board U.S.-bound international flights under a CDC requirement in place since January. The requirement applies to all U.S.-bound travelers on international flights, even those who are fully vaccinated.
But the U.S. has no plans to reciprocate by lifting travel restrictions anytime soon given the rise of the delta variant, according to the White House.
The United States’ current travel restrictions – which deny entry for people from the European Schengen area, United Kingdom and other countries – will remain in place.
“Given where we are today … with the delta variant, we will maintain existing travel restrictions at this point for a few reasons,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a press briefing Monday. “The more transmissible delta variant is spreading both here and around the world. Driven by the delta variant, cases are rising here at home, particularly among those who are unvaccinated and appear likely to continue in the weeks ahead.”
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Travel industry reacts
In light of Wednesday’s announcement, United Airlines said it will have six daily flights between the U.S. and London in August, including the addition of a second daily flight from Washington, D.C.
The company plans to resume additional flights to London “in the coming months” and launch nonstop service between Boston and London.
“Today’s announcement is yet another major milestone in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic with the opening of one of the most important markets from the U.S.” Patrick Quayle, United’s vice president of international network and alliances, said in a Wednesday news release.
Tori Emerson Barnes, the executive vice president of public affairs for the U.S. Travel Association trade group, urged U.S. leaders to follow the U.K.’s lead and set a timeline to reopen its borders to travelers.
“We encourage them to start with vaccinated travelers from the U.K., E.U. and Canada,” she said in a Wednesday news release. “The reality is there’s no difference between a vaccinated American and those vaccinated in the U.K., the E.U. and Canada.”
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International cruising returns to England
The U.K. also said Wednesday that it would restart international cruise sailings from England. The decision comes after the governm restarted its domestic cruise industry earlier this year, according to a press release from the government.
All new travel measures will be kept under review, according to the release.
“Public health remains our top priority, and we will not hesitate to act should the data show that countries risk ratings have changed,” the release reads.
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Contributing: Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY
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