By Ben Kerrigan-
The Uk government’s one sided exemption for US and EU travellers who are fully vaccinated against Covid from quarantine rules, is odd
The new rules came into effect at 4am today, Monday, but have not yet been met by a reciprocal easing of restrictions for travellers from the UK- which looks bad for both the Uk and U.S government. No good reason has been provided for the one sided exemption to travellers from the U.S.
The rules applies to England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and reflect the lower chance of catching the delta variant for double vaccinated people than for those who have only been vaccinated once, or have not been vaccinated at all.
Arrivals from France are the exception, with isolation still required regardless of vaccination status. Under the arrangements , US citizens must have a vaccine card, while EU citizens need the bloc’s “green pass” showing their vaccination status.
However, the exemption also fly in the face of revelation by government scientist, Patrick Vallance, that 60% of those hospitalized in the Uk have been double vaccinated, despite his subsequent change of the statement that the figure had in fact been representative of unvaccinated people in hospital.
Close examination by The Eye Of Media of Vallance’s statement and explanation at the time, suggests he was not being honest with the British public in order to avoid a potential reaction to Boris Johnson announcement that day that all those who plan to go to night clubs must be double vaccinated.
Scientists say that there is a 76% chance those vaccinated with Astrovenica will not catch the virus, but provides a 100% guarantee that those who take the Astrovenica will not be hospitalized. In the case of the Merdona and Feizzer vaccine, the chances of not getting the virus is 95%.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “We’re helping reunite people living in the US and European countries with their family and friends in the UK.” He did not
Previously, only travellers who received both coronavirus vaccine doses in the UK were able to enter from an amber country – the US and most of the EU – without isolating for the required 10 days.
US citizens must have a vaccine card, while EU citizens need the bloc’s “green pass” showing their vaccination status.
While the Uk is exempting double vaccinated U.S citizens from quaranteing in the Uk , British citizens in the Uk cannot travel to America in England and have been unable to travel to America for the past 16 months, unless they go through another country after being there for 14 days.
Mexico has been suggested as one route British citizens can take to spend 14 days, after which they must be tested within 3 days of their scheduled to travel.
British nationals who have been in the UK, Ireland, Schengen zone, Iran, Brazil, China, South Africa or India within the previous 14 days cannot directly enter America. Those arriving from outside these areas will need to get a visa or an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) visa waiver to enter or transit the USA as a visitor, the Uk government has said.
The U.S Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all air passengers arriving to the US from a foreign country get a COVID test no more than 3 days before their flight departs and present a negative result or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 to the airline before boarding the flight.
Prime minister, Boris Johnson, confirmed his government was considering a travel corridor with the US that allows people to “come freely from the US in a way that they normally do” during a LBC interview.
The plans come following talks between the Uk and the American government, both of which are to give special treatment to double vaccinated individuals.
“We’re talking to [the US] the whole time,” he told LBC. “At the moment we’re dealing with a Delta wave, the US is dealing with a Delta wave, but be assured that we are on it the whole time. As soon as we have something to say about travel corridors you’ll be hearing from us.”
Talks are scheduled to take place between Whitehall officials and the devolved administrations on whether the change would apply to England only, or all four nations of the UK.
It comes after aviation firms claimed a trial has demonstrated the UK can safely exempt fully vaccinated US and EU visitors from self-isolation.
Heathrow Airport, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic said their 10-day pilot scheme proved the vaccination status of travellers can be efficiently and accurately checked away from the border.
However, the U.S is not affording British nationals the same benefit. UK’s vaccination programme to avoid the requirement to self-isolate for 10 days. This excludes those who have been jabbed elsewhere in the world.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has committed to holding a formal review of its rules for arriving travellers before Sunday. It is expected to announce when it will begin recognizing vaccines administered in other countries.
BA chief executive Sean Doyle said the trial provides “the evidence the government needs” to allow fully vaccinated visitors from low-risk countries to enter the UK without the need to self-isolate.
He went on: “The UK needs to safely reopen its borders as soon as possible to ensure loved ones can reunite, business can thrive and global Britain is able to take advantage of the UK’s world-leading vaccination programme.”
His counterpart at Virgin Atlantic, Shai Weiss, warned that continuing the UK’s “overly cautious approach” towards international travel will harm the economic recovery from the virus crisis and put half a million jobs at risk.
He claimed the trial shows airlines would ensure an easing of the amber rules is “implemented smoothly at pace”.