LONDON: British transportation minister Shapps grants say on Friday there is still no exact date when the United States will open for travelers from England, outside the initial guidance of November.
The lack of clarity at the opening of the US was one of the last obstacles left for England’s trip after Shapps promised the announcement in the coming days when canceling the requirements for expensive PCR tests for entirely vaccinated arrivals to the UK.
Asked at Sky News if he had a certain date when the US would let the British citizens enter, Shapps said: “I don’t.” Transatantik bookings with airlines such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic soared after the US announcement in September but without further clarity, the worries grew that the date could be pushed back.
Shapps said he was in contact with US partners and the US ambassador about this problem and that the US still wanted to continue but it was a matter of working technical about how to do it.
“They still told me, early November,” he said then told the Times Radio.
Shapps, which on Thursday canceled the requirements of the Hard Covid-19 Hotel Quarantine for dozens of countries, said that there would be an immediate announcement to allow cheaper lateral flow tests for the arrival to the country and the new rules would occur before October 22.
“We anticipate after it’s ready for half terms,” ​​he said, referring to the school break to come.
Airlines and travel companies have asked travelers to be permitted to conduct a cheaper Covid-19 test for months, saying that more expensive tests add hundreds of pounds to family vacations and have reduced demand.
Referring to the recent rules change, British Airways executive head Sean Doyle said: “It finally felt like we saw the light at the tip of a very long tunnel.” But he said more need to be done.
As well as the company’s date to reopen, he requested testing to be completely canceled for tourists who were fully vaccinated.