The CBI has criticised the government for failing to put in place a risk-based system for safe travel that is fit for the longer term.

Responding to the latest round of changes to international travel rules, chief policy director of the business group, Matthew Fell, said: “The latest travel rule changes will bring little respite to the international travel industry. Public health must rightly be the first consideration, but the industry is left in a holding pattern while other nations with lower vaccination rates speed ahead.

“As the UK learns to live with the virus, changes will have to come. The government must turn its attention to establishing a longer-term system for safe travel which is truly risk-based.

“This means focusing on individual vaccination status rather than country status, simplifying any lingering restrictions and ending PCR test requirements for double-jabbed travelers and journeys to green list countries.”

The changes, which come into effect at 0400 on 30th August, see Montenegro and Thailand moving to the red list. The Azores, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Liechtenstein, Lithuania and Switzerland will move to the green list.

Employers that requires staff to travel regularly across UK borders must make sure that employees understand what COVID-19 tests they have to take after international travel and take reasonable steps to support them in taking these tests. Employers have a legal obligation to do this if they employ more than 50 people; or if any of their employees, including agency workers, have to take COVID-19 tests for work purposes.

Certain senior executives travelling to England from an amber list country can get an exemption to temporarily leave quarantine for COVID-19. More information on that from the UK Government website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-in-england-if-you-are-a-senior-executive-bringing-significant-economic-benefit-to-the-uk?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_source=b461ab81-72fa-4fcc-a577-d6f6684a0e42&utm_content=immediately#who-is-exempt

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