Travel restrictions for people arriving in UK dropped despite increase in coronavirus cases

All travel restrictions for people arriving in Scotland have been lifted, despite a rise in Covid cases across the UK.

As of 4am on Friday, travellers will no longer need to take Covid tests before and after travelling to the UK.

Passenger locator forms will also be scrapped as well as pre-travel tests for non-vaccinated travellers.

However people are being asked to continue checking the travel requirements in other countries before heading abroad.

The four nations approach was approved on Monday, despite concerns raised by the Scottish Government over a lack of border control measures.

The Scottish Government added it had “reluctantly agreed” to the lifting of restrictions given the negative impact on the tourism industry throughout the pandemic.

The Department for Transport said a “range of contingency measures” would be kept in reserve so ministers could take “swift and proportionate action” in the face of potential new variants.

The department said they would “only be implemented in extreme circumstances”, but it was understood the measures would include targeted testing from a country that has seen a new strain emerge.

The UK’s transport secretary Grant Shapps said: “I said we wouldn’t keep travel measures in place for any longer than necessary, which we’re delivering on today – providing more welcome news and greater freedom for travellers ahead of the Easter holidays.”

Health secretary Sajid Javid added the Government would continue to monitor potential new variants but that the final restrictions could now be lifted due to the success of the vaccination programme.

The decision to scrap travel restrictions comes as coronavirus infection rates have risen for the first time since the end of January, according to estimates from the Office for National Statistics.

On Thursday, 9721 new cases of coronavirus were reported in Scotland and 28 people died who had tested positive for the virus.

There are currently 2038 people in hospital with coronavirus, with 31 of those in intensive care.