UK Travelers Should Not Be Systematically Tested For Coronavirus

'Air travelers should not be systematically tested for SARS-CoV-2 or asked to quarantine on their return home from Europe because they are generally at low risk of having the virus,' says guidance from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), published on December 4, 2020. This advice means 'only people who have had known contact with someone with COVID-19 should be required to quarantine.'

The report published jointly with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and the ECDC, says that 'because SARS-CoV-2 is present in most European countries, imported cases are unlikely to significantly increase the rate of transmission.'

The UK government also announced on December 3, 2020, a limited number of exemptions for passengers arriving into England, including for business travelers who meet a set of required criteria.