GOVERNMENT could be set to introduce a measure that requires travellers to show a negative coronavirus test before entering the UK and our readers have had their say.

The news that a negative Covid-19 test could be required before entry to the UK was revealed yesterday and many of our readers felt that the measure should have been implemented earlier.

Robert Thompson said: "This should have been mandatory since March."

Keith Robinson said: "A little too late do you not think?"

Moira Himsworth said: "Shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted springs to mind."

Bernard Brock said: "It's only taken them 11 months during a global pandemic to sort this out?"

But not everyone believed the idea holds water.

Angela Ireland said: "According to a post I saw the other day, you can test negative but symptoms can appear a few days later so quarantine/isolation is the only way really."

Eleanor Jean Tyler added: "It wouldn't take long before unscrupulous individuals started producing false ones, they are doing that already, printing false tags to exempt them from wearing masks."

Jessica Oliphant said: "Or just block international travel a little longer, surely?

"So the testing centres aren't overrun with people wanting a trip to Benidorm. There's plenty of nice places to visit in the UK in the interim and it would help our economy when stuff starts to reopen."

The Department for Transport is considering the requirement of a negative test along with a package of travel measures aimed at reducing cross-border infection.

An announcement on travel restrictions is expected in days.

Current guidance for arrivals from countries outside of the travel corridor programme is to self isolate for 10 days. A new rule introduced in December means travellers can shorten isolation if they test negative five days after departure