Although the government removed all countries from the red list on Wednesday (15 December), travellers still need to take pre-departure tests before arriving in the UK, as well as a Day 2 PCR test.

Transport committee chairman Huw Merriman questioned why test requirements for international travel could not be dropped, now that the number of Omicron infections was doubling every two days in the UK.

“Travel does not make a jot of difference but bookings have collapsed,” said Merriman. “Why not drop testing when the horse has well and truly shot out of the stable?”

But Courts insisted that testing for travel still had an “effect on slowing transmission” of Omicron and created more time for people to receive their booster jabs.

“This is not a decision that any of us will take lightly,” Courts told the committee on Wednesday (15 December). “The travel industry is not being targeted – the importance of travel is critical to the country.”

Courts added that the testing regime would “continue to be reviewed” and the government was “keen to remove” testing requirements as soon as possible.

“There’s this balancing act between controlling the new variant and getting as many people vaccinated as possible,” he said.