by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 12:45 AM ET, Wed November 25, 2020
On December 15, England will provide a shorter time for travelers to quarantine upon arrival in the country, provided they test negative for COVID-19 five days after their arrival, according to the BBC.
Prior to this new ruling, travelers coming in from countries not on England's travel corridors list, like the United States, would have had to quarantine for fourteen days upon arrival in the country.
This new ruling states that, after five days of quarantine, a traveler can purchase a private COVID-19 test, the price of which ranges from £100-150, so about $130-200. Once they receive a negative result, which can take up to 48 hours, they can end their self-isolation.
This new protocol is only for those traveling to England, however. Those who are traveling to Ireland, Wales or Scotland will still need to self-isolate for fourteen days.
Chief executive of Airlines UK, Tim Alderslade, said that this new rule provided "light at the end of the tunnel," but that testing prior to departure instead of five days after would completely remove the need to self-isolate, and that it would be "the only way we're going to comprehensively reopen the market."
While this is definitely a step in the right direction for the country's tourism industry, it will still be a slow recovery until a vaccine is made available to the general public. Several, including one from Oxford, are currently in the late stages of development and show promising signs.
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