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Covid: Scotland's international travel testing regime to be relaxed Covid: Scotland's international travel testing regime to be relaxed
(32 minutes later)
Covid testing requirements for international travel are to be relaxed in Scotland. Fully-vaccinated people travelling to Scotland from overseas will no longer have to take pre-departure Covid tests, the Scottish government has confirmed.
The Scottish government has announced pre-departure tests for fully vaccinated travellers will be removed. It will benefit Scots returning home from abroad and visitors from non-red list countries.
Scottish ministers also said they "intend to align with the UK post-arrival testing regime" but details of this have still be finalised. Scotland will also "align with the UK post-arrival testing regime" but details have still to be finalised.
This includes whether a PCR or lateral flow test will be required within two days of arriving home. Last week the government said testing requirements would remain due to public health concerns
Plans to simplify the international travel traffic light system with green and amber classifications merging, and more countries being removed from the red list, had already been announced. Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said the government still had concerns.
But the Scottish government initially said the testing requirements would remain in place for the time being "due to significant concerns at the impact on public health". But after talks with the aviation industry they have "reluctantly concluded" that following the UK's path on testing was the "best option".
Now it has confirmed that travellers from non-red list countries who have been fully vaccinated will not be required to provide evidence of a negative test result before they can travel to Scotland. The eight countries now off the red list
Cabinet Secretary for Transport Michael Matheson said the Scottish government still had concerns about the relaxation but the move to align with the rest of the UK came after consideration of the "logistical, health and economic implications". Plans to simplify the international travel traffic light system with green and amber classifications merging, and more countries being removed from the red list, were announced last Friday.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. It will come into effect on 4 October.
You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts. Now it has been confirmed that travellers from non-red list countries who have been fully vaccinated will not be required to provide evidence of a negative test result before travelling to Scotland.
They must have been vaccinated in a country that meets "recognised standards of certifications".
Mr Matheson said the move to align with the rest of the UK came after consideration of the "logistical, health and economic implications".
He added: "We have urgently considered all these implications, weighing any possible impact on the public health and the logistical realities.
"After liaising at length with stakeholders from the aviation sector to understand the impact of adopting a different approach in Scotland, we have reluctantly concluded that, for practical reasons, alignment with the UK is the best option."
Gordon Dewar, chief executive of Edinburgh Airport, said: "We welcome this decision which will be a huge bonus for Scotland's travel and tourism sector and will provide some much needed confidence for people who need and want to travel."
The Scottish government has also said it will consider how "additional safeguards and surveillance of inward travel can be implemented" in a bid to guard against the importation of new variants of Covid.
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