U.K. Warns Airport Covid Tests Can’t Replace Local Quarantine
- Transport secretary points to days of isolation still required
- Still, Shapps says testing on arrival remains under review
Passengers, wearing protective face masks, walk through the international arrivals hall at London Heathrow Airport.
Photographer: Simon Dawson/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
U.K. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps downplayed the benefits of introducing Covid-19 testing at airports including London Heathrow, citing the lengthy quarantine period that would still be required.
In comments likely to come as a blow to the travel industry, Shapps said that while the government keeps coronavirus restrictions under review and is working with airports, the testing of travelers is “complicated” by the need for a second medical check a week or eight days later to ensure accuracy.