Let the vaccinated travel, UK air industry demands

LONDON, June 21 (Reuters) - The aviation industry on Monday
demanded that Britain removes COVID testing and isolation
requirements for fully vaccinated travellers from most
countries, a step already being taken in the European Union to
help tourism recover.

Airlines UK said in a letter to Transport Secretary Grant
Shapps that fully vaccinated travellers from "amber"
destinations should be exempt from the 10-day isolation
requirement, while those coming from both "amber" and "green"
countries should not need to have expensive PCR tests.

"Given the incredible efficacy of vaccines and their
critical role in easing domestic restrictions, we believe that
the framework can safely be adjusted to provide a pathway for
vaccinated people to travel without restriction, alongside steps
to reduce restrictions for green and amber categories, making
them more proportionate for travellers," the group said.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that
travellers would face hassle and delays this year if they sought
to go abroad because the priority would be keeping the country
safe from the coronavirus.

Data confirming that vaccines are more than 90% effective
against hospitalisation from the fast-growing Delta variation
should be considered when measures that apply to each tier of
Britain's traffic light system for travel are reviewed on June
28, it said.

"This effectiveness has been recognised by Europe, which is
now opening its travel and leisure markets by introducing
waivers from testing and isolation requirements for fully
vaccinated persons, including arrivals from major markets such
as the United States," it said.

"Today 32 countries exempt travellers from quarantine and 27
from testing if fully vaccinated. The failure to adopt a similar
approach risks the UK falling further behind the EU's reopening
of international travel, including the critical trans-Atlantic
market."

Popular European holiday destinations for Britons, including
Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Greece, are currently rated
"amber", which require returning passengers to take three
COVID-19 tests and isolate for 10 days on return.

The 11 countries and territories rated "green" require two
tests for passengers, including those who are fully vaccinated.
(Reporting by Paul Sandle)