Under the major shake-up the unvaccinated may still have to take a Covid test before boarding a flight back home as well as a PCR test on day two after the return, it has been reported
As part of sweeping reforms to the traffic light system for foreign travel people without a Covid jab could be forced to quarantine when they return to the country, it has been reported.
According to reports, those who arrive in the UK without both doses of vaccine could be required by law to submit two PCR tests at their arrival.
This is part of a review on travel rules that ministers are expected to approve Friday.
The major overhaul of travel restrictions could mean that unvaccinated passengers will still need to undergo a Covid test prior to boarding a return flight. A PCR test may also be required on the second day.
On day 8, passengers will be required to have lateral flow testing. They also will need to quarantine for 10 days.
According to reports, only lateral flow tests paid for by holidaymakers and not equipment provided by the government will be accepted.
The Telegraph reports that the rule change will only apply to people who have not been fully vaccinated with a Covid jab.
According to the publication, a source claimed that figures from Public Health England are pushing back against the removal of PCR testing on return flights because the results from lateral flow tests were more efficient than those from PCR tests.
Tim Alderslade (chief executive of Airlines UK) urged the Government not to remove the requirement for testing.
He said: “The economic costs of not reopening are increasing every day and this is the last opportunity to change the travel rules under the Government’s own Taskforce timeframe.
“They are removing furlough support for a sector that hasn’t been allowed to reopen.
“We either take this opportunity to pare back these restrictions or thousands of jobs will be at stake and our competitiveness as a trading nation will be further eroded.”
Meanwhile, the rules for fully jabbed Brits look set to be relaxed, with proposals to drop the need for arrivals to take a PCR test on their second day back.
A requirement to pass a pre-departure lateral flight test within 72 hours of arriving in the UK could also be dropped.
Officials are currently conducting a formal review to foreign travel rules. There is growing speculation that the green and red lists could be combined into a single category.
A red list for high-risk countries would be maintained, meaning that certain travellers would need to quarantine.
Turkey is expected to be added to the red list.
On the review, a Government spokesperson previously said: “Our international travel policy is guided by one overwhelming priority – protecting public health.
“Decisions on our traffic light system are kept under regular review and are informed by the latest risk assessment from the Joint Biosecurity Centre and wider public health factors.
“The next formal checkpoint review will take place by 1 October 2021.”