Labour and Sage call for pre-departure Covid testing

Sage scientists have this morning urged the reinstating mandatory pre-departure Covid tests for people entering the UK in light of the omicron variant.

Labour’s newly minted shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper called for this policy yesterday.

The advisory committee have said current plans to make travellers to take tests two days after arrival will “identify significantly fewer cases” than extra tests on days five or eight, according to the BBC.

Researchers are yet to identify whether the omicron variant will be more dangerous than previous types of Covid.

The alleged document is said to warn the government of “a potentially very significant wave with associated hospitalisations” following the omicron variant.