Travel testing changes for Welsh travellers from 31st October
Welsh Government says non-Red List travellers can take lateral flow instead of more pricey PCR
Fully-vaccinated travellers arriving in Wales from a non-red list country will be able to take a lateral flow test instead of the more expensive PCR test from Sunday October 31, the Welsh Government has announced.
This is a week later than the introduction of the policy in England by the UK Government.
The Welsh Government said in a statement:
"We remain concerned about the UK Government's approach - and the speed at which it is opening up international travel and its decisions to change the border health measures, which are important protections to prevent the risk of new cases - and new variants of coronavirus - from entering the UK.
"We have consistently urged the UK Government to take a precautionary approach towards reopening international travel.
"However, it is difficult for us to adopt a different testing regime to that required by the UK Government, as the majority of Welsh travellers enter the UK through ports and airports in England.
"Having different testing requirements would cause significant practical problems, confusion among the travelling public, logistical issues, enforcement at our borders and disadvantages for Welsh businesses.”