On Saturday evening the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, announced new requirements for all travellers from any country entering the UK, regardless of vaccination status or being a UK resident, stating that a PCR test will now be required with home isolation until you receive a negative test result… but when does it become officially required?
According to an update on the Governments website, it comes into effect from 4.00am (UK time) on Tuesday morning, 30th November. Before then, travellers that have already booked lateral flow tests can still use them, will not have to isolate, and can fill in their locator forms today.
However, if you are arriving into the UK after 4.00am on Tuesday, you can not complete your locator form until tomorrow (Monday) when the requirement is clearly stated as being a PCR test, with the same age requirements as now.
Why a PCR test?
The requirement of a PCR test on arrival, which will be reviewed in 3 weeks’ time, is due to its increased accuracy over other versions and the fact scientists need more samples of the omicron variant to be able to sequence it and find out more about it, and accurately give data to vaccine producers to combat it.
As Boris Johnson said in his press conference, the measures are temporary and precautionary to learn more and contain the omicron variant, as they have learned from the delta variant and how quickly it can become the dominant thread in infections.
Spain has decided to only allow vaccinated people into the country from the UK, because a recovery certificate is not sufficient because omicron has different antigens, and because, although vaccinated people can still spread the virus, it is those who are unvaccinated that are mostly being admitted to hospitals.
