By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: The United Kingdom on Friday removed eight countries; including Pakistan, Turkey and the Maldives from the international travel ‘red list, to make “travel easier”, the decision will be implemented from September 22 (Wednesday).
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said double-vaccinated travelers coming from non-red list countries will no longer have to take pre-departure tests from 4 October.
The measure has been taken to “reduce costs, take advantage of higher levels of vaccination and keep us all safe,” Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said, adding he was delighted to tell holidaymakers the UK government were making “testing easier for travel”.
Shapps said he hoped the new measures would “strike the right balance to manage the public health risk as No.1 priority”. In a tweet, he said: “We’re making testing easier for travel. From Mon 4 Oct, if you’re fully vax you won’t need a pre-departure test before arrival into England from a non-red country and from later in Oct, will be able to replace the day 2 PCR test with a cheaper lateral flow.”
The eight countries that got the relief include Turkey, Egypt, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Oman, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Kenya from Wednesday 22 Sept at 4 am.
“We’ll also be introducing a new simplified system for international travel from Mon 4 Oct, replacing the current approach with a single red list and simplified measures for the rest of the world, striking the right balance to manage the public health risk as No.1 priority.” British High Commissioner to Pakistan in a tweet said that he was pleased to confirm that Pakistan was off the red list. “I know how difficult the last 5 months were for so many who rely on close links between the UK and Pakistan.”
He said the United Kingdom would continue to work closely with Pakistan to ensure data sharing and safeguard public health in both countries. “No one is safe until everyone is safe,” the ambassador said. Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari in response to a tweet by Ambassador Turner attributed it to the strong stance by Prime Minister Imran Khan on the issue and also the UK MPs including Naz ShahBfd and Afzal Khan, besides the scientific data provided by Dr Faisal Sultan and NCOC.
However, she pointed that since “Pakistan was dealt with unfairly so it was time for the UK govt to put things right!”.
He also expressed gratitude to Ambassador Turner and others in the UK govt who engaged with the team in Pakistan “for an in-depth understanding of our epidemic response and systems as well as the ongoing sharing of data and information to enable disease security.”
