Double vaccinated travelers arriving in England will no longer be required to take PCR and lateral flow tests, the government confirmed on Monday, according to Anadolu Agency.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson made the announcement during a visit to a hospital in the town of Milton Keynes after calls from airline companies to end omicron-related travel restrictions.

“We have, thanks to the tough decisions, the big calls that we made the most open economy and society in Europe. And although we have to be cautious, we are now moving through the omicron wave, and you can see the figures are starting to get better,” Johnson said.

“So what we’re doing on travel, to show that this country is open for business, open for travelers, you will see changes so that people arriving no longer have to take tests if they have been vaccinated, if they have been double vaccinated,” the prime minister added.

In addition to the scrapping of travel tests, COVID passports and the wearing of facemasks will also no longer be made mandatory and people will be allowed to return to work in their respective offices.

The new rule is thought to be implemented during the one-week holiday in February.

Currently, unvaccinated arrivals are required to take a pre-departure test as well as two post-arrival PCR tests. They must also self-isolate for 10 days.

Last week, the government put an end to its “Plan B” restrictions that saw the re-imposition of face mask mandates and work-from-home rules, citing the decline in omicron cases.

Source: Azerbaijan State News Agency