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The United Kingdom requires a negative test to travelers for the Omicron variant

From Tuesday at 04:00 local time, “anyone over 12 years old who wants to travel to the United Kingdom must present a negative test (antigen or PCR)” carried out maximum 48 hours before departure, to “stop the importation of the new variant, “the executive said in a statement Saturday night.

Until now, travelers arriving in the UK had to undergo a PCR no later than two days after arrival, and isolate themselves until the results were obtained.

This new obligation was very badly received by the tourism industry, which was just beginning to recover after the impact of the pandemic.

Clive Wratten, director of the Business Travel Association, called it a “blow” for the industry while Tim Alderslade of the airline association Airlines UK called it “premature”, in the absence of having all the clinical data on Ómicron.

“I know that it is a burden on the travel industry but we have made enormous progress in this country,” with about 81% of those over 12 years vaccinated and a booster dose administered to 34% of the eligible population, replied the vice-first Minister Dominic Raab, on Sky News.

“We must take precise measures to prevent the new variant from being implanted in the country and creating an even bigger problem,” he said.

The UK has so far detected 160 cases of the Omicron variant.

Source From: Ambito

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