Heathrow is to provide fast-track lanes for fully-vaccinated arrivals as the airline industry steps up pressure on the government to open up quarantine-free travel to amber destinations.
British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Heathrow say a similar identification process is already in place for outbound travel to several countries. Earlier this week, Germany became the newest country to confirm it would accept fully vaccinated passengers from the UK without the need to quarantine.
The new UK showing test, allowing inbound travelers to present their fully vaccinated status, will support the government to move forward with its plans to remove quarantine for double poked passengers entering the United Kingdom(UK) from the amber list countries. The initiative will see fully vaccinated volunteers traveling on selected flights from Athens, Los Angeles, Montego Bay, and New York to London Heathrow showing evidence of their vaccine status.
The test aims to assure the government that airlines and airports can check vaccine status upstream and away from the border, ensuring no further pressure in the United Kingdom(UK) immigration halls. Those taking part in the test will be able to use a dedicated arrivals lane at the border and British Airways customers will be able to access a cheap rate for the compulsory arrivals tests.
“This pilot will allow us to show that pre-departure and arrival checks of vaccination status can be carried out safely, so that fully vaccinated passengers can avoid quarantine from July 19th. In addition to this, the UK government must make progress on reopening travel between the US after a designated task force was established to look at this back at the G7. Heathrow is the main port for trade in goods and services with the US, the only country with whom the UK has a trade surplus.” Says John Holland-Kaye, chief executive of Heathrow.
Internationally recognized vaccination credentials will be accepted in the showing test including the NHS app, CDC card, US state-level digital certification, and EU Digital Covid Credential. British Airways will also support customers’ vaccine verification through the Verify app and Virgin Atlantic customers can verify their vaccine certificate through a new digital uploader tool, developed in partnership with Delta Air Lines and backed by Trust Assure technology.
As the proof-of-concept develops, the options for customers to show vaccine status will quickly be expanded, across physical, digital, and integrated formats, including International Air Transport Association (IATA) Travel Pass.
The United Kingdom(UK) has led the world with its successful vaccine programme, which the Government promised would lead to the end of Covid restrictions.
Presently, eighty-six (86) percent of the UK adults have had the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, with sixty –four (64) percent fully vaccinated. Data from Public Health England has shown two (2) doses of the vaccines offer seventy-nine (79) percent protection against becoming ill from the Delta abnormal and reduces the possibility of requiring hospitalization by ninety-six (96) percent.
Despite this absurd achievement the UK is weakening to gain the economic and social rewards, says the airlines falling behind countries like France, Germany, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, and Malta, all of these countries accept fully vaccinated travelers, including United States citizens, without the need for quarantine. The U.S. also allows its fully vaccinated citizens to avoid self-isolation.
“We need to act quickly to protect jobs, re-build the country's economy, and reunite loved ones. We are already helping our customers show proof of their vaccination status when traveling to several other countries outside the United Kingdom that require it, and we’re confident we can make this happen for entry to Britain too, very quickly. We look forward to providing the data that proves it’s simple for fully vaccinated status to be verified and to the Government meeting its commitment to get the country moving again.” Says Sean Doyle, British Airways chief executive.
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