All travelers to UK now required to show COVID PCR test before departure

By AFP 5 December 2021, 5:26 pm

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Illustrative photo of travelers arriving at Heathrow Airport in London, January 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

The UK government announces that those arriving in the country will now need to show a negative coronavirus test pre-departure.

Beginning at 4 a.m. on Tuesday, anyone traveling to the UK will have to show evidence of a negative lateral flow or PCR test taken within the last 48 hours before boarding a flight, the health ministry says.

This will apply to travelers over age 12 arriving from any country. Currently, passengers only have to take a PCR test within two days after arrival in the UK.

The UK earlier banned flights from South Africa and put 10 African countries on its red list, meaning only UK and Irish citizens or UK residents can travel from there to the UK. Nigeria will join the list starting tomorrow.