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Passengers arriving in England from December 15 from high-risk countries will now have to self-isolate for just five days if they have a negative COVID-19 test.
Sky News looks at what that means for people who want to travel and the implications for the most affected travel industry.
What are the new rules?
Starting on December 15, people arriving in England from countries not on the travel broker list will have the option of taking a test after five days of self-isolation. test and launch, as the government calls it.
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Will passengers welcome the quarantine change?
If they test negative, they no longer need to isolate themselves.
They can perform a test at home or at the site of a private provider.
People who do not wish to take the test will have to isolate themselves for 14 days or face a fine.
Passengers will need to book a test before arriving in England and will need to indicate this on their passenger location form prior to arrival.
If they choose to participate after arrival, they will need to resubmit their passenger locator form.
Passengers will need to go directly home from the airport and self-isolate for five days before taking a test.
How much will the tests cost?
To ensure that the NHS Test and Trace system is not overloaded, the government has said that people will have to pay for private tests from a list of government-approved providers.
The list will be posted on gov.uk when it gets closer, but tests will cost between £ 65-120.
Travel companies hope that as this option is used more, trial prices will become more competitive.
Can I take a test at the airport?
No. The government has said that scientific evidence shows that a test after five days of self-isolation “provides materially better results” than having a test on arrival.
This allows time for the virus to hatch, if present, and helps reduce the risk of a false negative result.
Can I go on winter break now?
The new rule means that those who were unable to book a vacation earlier because they were unable to isolate themselves for two weeks upon return can do so.
But there are caveats.
Passengers will need to go directly home from the airport and self-isolate for five days before taking a test.
Emma Brennan, spokesperson for ABTA, the trade association of travel agents and tour operators, said: “The first thing to remember is that the travel corridor system is in place; in places like the Canary Islands and Maldives, it is not necessary quarantine test.
“For those places where you have to be quarantined for 14 days, you have the opportunity to reduce it.
“That will make a big difference where the quarantine has been a huge barrier for people booking a vacation in a country where the government does not advise against all but essential travel.
“But, for those places where the Foreign Ministry advises against all but essential travel, that will mean that your insurance will be voided even if you have proof upon return.”
At the moment, that includes most ski destinations, so the annual trip to the slopes will be canceled for now.
Ms Brennan added: “The picture is quite different around the world, so your fate might have a different rule than here.
“All the information is available on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so anyone booking a trip should check there first.
“Sign up for email alerts for that destination, as things can change at a rate, so keep checking back for the latest measurements out there, even for things like wearing face masks.”
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What does this mean for the travel industry?
“Things are going in the right direction,” Brennan said.
“We’ve been asking for tests for quite some time and it comes at a pretty good time for people rushing to leave at Christmas to see friends and family.
“But there is still a long way to go before the journey is fully open.”
He added that after every positive announcement for the travel industry, they have seen an increase in bookings, but are only expecting 10% of normal Christmas bookings.
“We hope that as time goes on, the quarantine lists will get smaller and the government will take a more regional approach, as we have been suggesting for a while,” he said.
“Unfortunately, our industry has not had the same financial support as others such as hospitality and the arts.
“We need a more flexible permit plan because we have schedules during the lockdown where people book vacations but it is not sustainable.
“There are grants available, but we’ve found that it’s kind of a zip code lottery.”
