then isolate for no reason for not having covid. that s the thinking behind that. in terms of the travel testing, these things were reintroduced in an attempt to slow down the arrival of the omicron variant into the uk from abroad. once it is very prevalent in the uk and equally prevalent abroad, you don t need that any more. there is some economic rationale as well, because the travel companies, the ski companies and the airports and airlines were saying it was adding so much money to people s holidays the people were not working. and people were so worried that their predeparture people were so worried that their predepa rtu re test two people were so worried that their predeparture test two days before they came home, if that was positive, you got stranded abroad for a week or ten days whatever it was, adding even more costs and uncertainty to your trip. so those are the big bits of thinking and these two quite big changes. there have been lots of changes to the testing regime over
pre depa rtu re tests from the early hours of friday morning, and those arriving from sunday morning will be able to take a lateral flow test rather than a pcr. our transport correspondent katie austin is at st pancras international station for us tonight. good news for travellers and the hard pressed travel industry? yes. hard-pressed travel industry? yes. this marks hard-pressed travel industry? yes. this marks a hard-pressed travel industry? yes. this marks a return hard-pressed travel industry? yes. this marks a return to hard pressed travel industry? yes this marks a return to pre omicron arrangements. from this weekend, international travel is about to get cheaper and easier again forfully cheaper and easier again for fully vaccinated cheaper and easier again forfully vaccinated passengers. no predeparture vaccinated passengers. no predepa rtu re tests vaccinated passengers. no predeparture tests and a lateral flow test upon arrival into england, although if that is posit
predeparture is widely expected that the predepa rtu re test is widely expected that the predeparture test element will be dropped as part of a review of the rules happening today. there are many in the travel industry who would like the government to go much further and get rid of both testing requirements, because they would argue that now omicron is so widely spread both within the uk and around the world, these measuresjust aren t effective any more but whatever the government does decide to do when it makes that decision this afternoon, a lot of other countries still have travel restrictions in place, including, in some cases, some pretty strict entry requirements. some cases, some pretty strict entry requirements- scotland s first minister nicola sturgeon will update the scottish parliament this afternoon as covid case numbers continue to rise sharply. latest figures show a seven day average of more than 16,000 cases in scotland. the highest daily figure since the pandemic began
thatis on. do you have any sense of whether that is just people who are asymptomatic, or that the anybody? i don t know, it s one of those things where we are slightly guessing. we know that this is the direction of travel and the government is going to that. talking about travel, it looks like they will get rid of the predeparture looks like they will get rid of the predepa rtu re test looks like they will get rid of the predeparture test as well, the one that you have to do within two days of getting on your flight or train back to the uk. that was reintroduced to deal with 0micron, it will be taken away in the next few days. it will be taken away in the next few da s. ., ~ it will be taken away in the next few da s. ., ,, it will be taken away in the next few da s. ., ~ , it will be taken away in the next fewda s. ., ,, , . it will be taken away in the next fewda s. ., ~ , . ., few days. thank you very much for now, few days. thank you very much for now. adam. few days. thank you
passing through and all those who do arrive will have to do a predeparture arrive will have to do a predepa rtu re test arrive will have to do a predeparture test in quarantine for 14 days on arrival. from today, france has banned all non essential travel from the uk because of concern over the surging omicron variant. it s thrown france s tourism industry into disarray during the christmas season. our correspondent mark lowen is in the alpine resort of chamonix. up the slopes of mont blanc, hope was peeking through of a bumper christmas, a relief from covid. but then france warned of a landslide, not on its own mountains, but of omicron in britain. all non essential arrivals from the uk grinding to a halt from today. travel plans now in disarray. we ve missed a few people in different families as well who were supposed to come over. who aren t vaccinated. ..who are probablyjust not going to be able to come out now. so, yeah, it s obviously a bit gutting for certain people but i guess