Covid travel news: Government to introduce charges for tests, as bookings surge after rules eased

Catch up on Saturday’s developments

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps explains the new travel rules as restrictions are eased

The government will end free provision of lateral flow tests within months in a move that has been criticised as “reckless” by public health chiefs.

Plans to introduce charges for the tests were buried in the government’s Covid winter plan, which was unveiled earlier this week by Sajid Javid, the health secretary.

The relaxation of travel rules is expected to fuel a surge in holiday bookings this weekend, as the amber list was scrapped in favour of a single list of places which will require hotel quarantine on return to England.

Meanwhile, a new tool has found certain groups remain more vulnerable to the virus after vaccination.

The QCovid tool developed by scientists at the University of Oxford shows that immunosuppressed people, and those with dementia, Parkinson’s or chronic disorders such as kidney disease are still at a greater risk of hospitalisation or death from Covid when vaccinated compared to the rest of the population.

Key Points

• Free lateral flow tests to end ‘within months'
• Travel firms see bookings spike
• UK aviation much slower to recover than rest of Europe, says industry chief
• New tool identifies groups most at-risk from Covid after vaccination
• Scotland to keep pre-flight tests

[18 September 2021 13:03 · Liam James]

In graphs: Vaccine protection levels over time

Series of charts here compiled by The Independent mapping the data on the effectiveness of different vaccines over time:

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