JUST IN: Fully vaccinated United States. citizens will no longer have to quarantine when traveling to England

U.S. and EU travelers who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus will soon be allowed to visit England without having to quarantine, the U.K. government announced Wednesday.

The measure comes after the U.K. government on July 19 also removed quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated English residents if they had visited so-called amber list countries with less severe Covid-19 situations.

Both announcements provide fresh relief to airlines and the wider tourism sector, which has been severely hit by Covid restrictions. The European travel and leisure sector traded higher on Wednesday supported by the recent decisions

U.K. Transport Minister Grant Shapps said via Twitter that the quarantine exemption would be introduced from Monday. It comes at a time when the United States is reversing some of its social restrictions.

Shapps said the changes would apply to fully vaccinated people with a U.S. or European approved shot. Those travelling would still need to do the usual pre-departure test before arrival and take a PCR test on day two of returning to England.

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