When traveling to the United Kingdom, it will no longer matter where you come from, but how many doses of the coreavirus vaccine have received. Boris Johnson has announced a revolution in his traffic light system to regulate international travel, so as from next Wednesday the Green and Amber categories - in which is Spain - and the displacements are provided. Thus, the PCR tests that travelers had to be carried out before their arrival in the country will disappear whenever the full guideline is from 4 October. The Test of Day Two, however, will remain mandatory, but from mid-October it will no longer have to be a PCR, but may be a test of antigens, cheapening the cost for the traveler.
Since Johnson opened this possibility, in the prime minister's cabinet there was some consensus about the need to reduce and facilitate the displacements for those who have received the two doses. "It's about that people find it easier for you to see all those friends and family that live abroad while we guarantee that it is done in a safe framework," explained from the Government the newspaper The Telegraph. .
However, it is also agreed on the opposite, that is, to complicate things to those who refuse to get vaccinated, because everything points to that, as of October, all those who do not have the complete pattern must make a quarantine 10 days come from where they come and the same three PCR tests that were required at the toughest moment of the pandemic.
On the other hand, those who have the two doses will not have to save the confinement and only have to present an antigen test upon arrival in the country and be carried out by 48 hours to land. It has been discussed, however, if this last should be of antigens, cheaper, or PCR, more expensive but both safe, as it enables the exhaustive analysis of the samples to seek possible new variants of the virus. Finally, it has ended imposing the option of salaring costs for travelers.
"In this matter, the details are burned by the devil, I hope they take seriously that, if an antigen test gives positive, you have to do a PCR to corroborate the result and to analyze the genome of that case. It is vital that Let us continue maintaining an exhaustive surveillance in this matter, "Alan McNally, professor in microbial evolutionary genomics and one responsible for the implementation of the search for new variants.
However, the government does not lose sight of this tests are suffocating mobility, therefore, on average, each PCR test is 100 euros, while those of antigens are around 35. The bubble that is being created in The sector is also enormous, because there are more and more competitors fighting for a market that in the last three weeks has moved more than 40 million euros. Of the more than half a million tests that were performed at the beginning of July, for example, only 5% yielded a positive result.
For its part, the traffic light system to divide secure destinations into three different categories will also disappear. Instead, the Government will publish a list with the destinations that it considers insurance and another with those who do not, but the latter will be very small and will not be countries like Turkey or Pakistan, which were in the Red category based on the Previous system Those arriving from countries marked as not safe, must continue to make a quarantine of 11 nights at a hotel designated by the government at a price that exceeds 2,400 euros per person.
With these measures, Johnson also hopes to take the rhythm to the European Union, which was winning the game when it comes to relaxing border restrictions to capture international tourism. Heathrow Airport, in London, which until 2019 was the one who registered most from all over Europe and in which Ferrovial has a 25% stake, has fallen to the tenth position, seeing surpassed by those of Paris, Amsterdam or Frankfurt.
From the airport itself indicated the "excessive and unnecessary" test of the coronavirus that should be done by those who arrive in the United Kingdom as one of the reasons for their fall, although also that their continent rivals were "recovering at a much greater rhythm" Without having to face the "constantly changing restrictions" of the British government. Although in August 2.2 million passengers passed through Heathrow, 700,000 more than in July, the figure is 71% lower than that registered in August 2019, when neither Brexit nor the pandemic had affected mobility .
Date Of Update: 20 September 2021, 21:58
