UK-US government talks are taking place about an air bridge between London and New York to allow travellers to avoid quarantine.
The Telegraph reports that ministers are studying plans for regional air bridges which would enable business and leisure travellers arrive in the UK from “low-risk” areas such as New York city within countries like the US which are “red listed” because of their overall high coronavirus rates.
The newspaper says New York has brought its seven-day infection rate down to 7.2 cases per 100,000 – which is below England’s 11.3 – yet the city remains “red listed”, so any travellers from the US to the UK must quarantine for 14 days.
A source told The Telegraph that talks about the London-NY travel corridor are taking place at a “senior level” but they are at an early stage.
“It is vital to get business going with a major trading partner especially as we near Brexit,” said the source.
The government has a weekly process of reviewing Foreign Office advice and the travel corridors list of countries that are free of quarantine restrictions.
The government is due to review the potential for a relaxation this week, but sources suggest there are limited prospects of immediate change.
The travel industry is lobbying for Covid tests to cut the length of quarantine and regionalised restrictions that could allow the partial opening of markets.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps confirmed the government is considering both but warned travellers: “Go with your eyes open because coronavirus is a fact of life.”
A Department for Transport spokesman told The Telegraph that conversations between governments in other countries take place regularly about many issues, and a country will not be added to the travel corridor list unless it is safe to do so.
Paul Charles, chief executive of The PC Agency, said the US-UK talks would “increase pressure on the government to introduce Covid testing to enable incoming passengers to sidestep quarantine”.
The Telegraph also reported that Switzerland is set to have quarantine re-imposed but Cuba may be included on the quarantine-free “green” list.
