UK’s Heathrow shows a better way with COVID-19 testing

Let’s turn our attention to the UK’s Heathrow airport, where a provision for COVID-19 tests will save the trouble of compulsory quarantine for all arriving travelers. The UK has secured 13,000 COVID-19 tests in Heathrow airport at terminal 2 for passengers arriving, say on a UK visitor visa. This will serve as a second test for COVID-19 upon arrival and only those who are positive will have to go into quarantine.

While this goes easy on travelers coming to the UK, it will also help the country open up flights to countries like Singapore, the US, and Canada. Talk about bringing these key trading partners into confidence with a feel-good treatment, and here’s a good start!

Matt Hancock, the British Health Secretary, stressed on the fact that the UK is working in this direction to lessen the period that people coming to the country are made to stay at home upon arrival. It helps in going back to business sooner after all!

World countries are taking an approach of imposing a quarantine on every passenger entering their borders for lack of an alternative. Often, the 2-week quarantine is not very welcome with the people though. Now that the UK has taken a different path, alternatives like this may be found in Europe too and implemented. Otherwise, a Europe-wide travel ban may come to be and that won’t be good news for the region.

Indeed, the idea for an alternative is gaining momentum. IATA (International Air Transport Association) and ACI (International Airports Council) have already decided to push the reconsideration with a request in the UN meeting. The push will be to use testing in the place of compulsory quarantine.

UK immigration is looking to come back into better action and the present decision will contribute to it as it will take away the need for the displeasure of travelers.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to the UK, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

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