Passengers arriving into England can reduce the 14-day mandatory self-isolation under the Government's new test and release strategy.
The system will be rolled out in England from 15 December for international arrivals from countries that are not on the Travel Corridor list.
Arrivals take a test after self-isolating for five days, by which time the virus, if present, will have incubated and be more likely to show up, ministers said. With this greater degree of certainty, on receipt of a negative result passengers can immediately finish self-isolating.
Passengers should book a test at their own expense from a provider on a GOV.UK list before arriving in England.
'If they choose to book a test, they will need to state this on their passenger locator form and then go straight into self-isolation at home as usual. If they choose to opt in after arrival, they will need to resubmit their passenger locator form,' DfT officials said.
If a traveller tests positive for COVID-19, they must self-isolate for a further 10 days from the day of the test and their contacts will be traced and notified as normal
Those choosing not to take a test must continue to follow the current 14-day self-isolation requirements.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps said: 'We have a plan in place to ensure that our route out of this pandemic is careful and balanced, allowing us to focus on what we can now do to bolster international travel while keeping the public safe.
'Our new testing strategy will allow us to travel more freely, see loved ones and drive international business. By giving people the choice to test on day five, we are also supporting the travel industry as it continues to rebuild out of the pandemic.'
Anyone who does not comply with self-isolation requirements could be fined £1,000 for the first offence and up to £10,000 for repeat breaches. Only a negative test result from a provider on the GOV.UK list will enable a traveller to cease self-isolating early.
The Government has also introduced new financial support for English airports and ground handlers serving them to address fixed costs. The funding will be equivalent to the business rates liabilities of each business, capped at up to £8m per site, and subject to conditions. This scheme will open in the new year.
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