England to relax COVID-19 travel testing rules: PM Johnson

London: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday said that arrivals in England would no longer need to take a pre-departure test and could take a rapid lateral flow test rather than a PCR test once they arrive.

“In England, from 4am on Friday, we will be scrapping a pre-departure test which discourages many from travelling for fear of being trapped overseas and incurring significant extra expense,” Johnson told lawmakers.

“We will also be lifting the requirement to self isolate on arrival until receipt of a negative PCR,” he said, adding that arrivals would instead need to do a rapid lateral flow test, and then only take a PCR if the lateral flow was positive.