From December 15 passengers arriving in the UK will be able to reduce their Quarantine period to five days if they provide a negative Covid-19 test.
This will come as a massive relief for international students who will be returning to university after the Christmas holidays for their second term.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps announced that the changes will require passengers to book and pay for a Covid-19 test from a private provider on the government’s list.
The test will be paid by passengers and will cost between £65-£120 with the results will to arrive in 24-48 hours.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “This test on day five of the 14-day self-isolation period will identify positive coronavirus cases and allow those who test negative to return to work and see their loved ones while abiding by domestic coronavirus restrictions.”
These rules only apply to passengers coming from the countries on the government’s quarantine list and travellers can still quarantine for the mandatory 14 days if they choose not to take the test.
These changes will help boost the travel and aviation industry, which has suffered heavy losses since the pandemic started.
The measure follows the Prime Minister’s announcement that England will enter a tougher three-tier system once the national lockdown ends on December 2.
Grace Henley 
Josh Smith 
Ella Rebbitt