International business travellers could be exempt from UK quarantine
The government is working with the travel industry and health authorities to develop a short-stay quarantine exemption for inbound international business travellers.
Under new proposals, published yesterday by the government’s Global Travel Taskforce, business travellers would not be required to self-isolate if undertaking business-related activity only.
The Taskforce is also looking at whether it can allow ‘tour bubbles’ for inbound guided groups, adopting the model already used by sports teams to allow them to travel.
It is suggesting that a group would arrive together and use private transport to visit a number of Covid-19 secure venues, all while staying together as a group and following local regulations.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will lead work with the travel industry to develop the feasibility of this proposal, which remains subject to advice from clinicians, it said.
The Travel Taskforce, led by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Health Secretary Matt Hancock, yesterday announced a new test-and-release scheme to reduce the quarantine period for arrivals from high-risk countries.
It said it was looking at other measures to boost international travel to and from the UK.
This could include pre-departure testing, if it is able to get agreement from partner countries.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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