England relaxed its quarantine rules on Tuesday to allow seasonal poultry staff to work during 14-day coronavirus isolation periods to ensure there are enough turkeys available for Christmas dinners.
The government said the change would let turkey farmers "have access to the necessary workforce to mitigate any potential risks to Christmas food supply".
Under the revised rules, arriving poultry workers will still be required to self-isolate from the general public to avoid spreading the virus.
They will also be required to form "cohorts", meaning they only live and work with a select group of the same workers during their stay and do not mix with other employees.
"These measures will ensure UK farmers and food producers are supported and able to keep up with the Christmas demand over the festive period," said Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.
English farms rely on around 5,500 seasonal workers each year to help supply poultry during the busy festive period, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Slaughtering turkeys is "a job that demands high-skilled professional labour to ensure our animal welfare standards are maintained", it said.
However, industry groups had warned of possible turkey shortages this year if farms could not find enough skilled workers to process the meat.
Britain imposed its two-week quarantine regime on all arrivals earlier this year while maintaining a list of exempted countries depending on their coronavirus rates.
The government insisted that despite the seasonal arrivals now being able to work during their quarantine period, they would adhere to "Covid-secure guidance".
They will also be required to leave England by December 31, at which point the exemption will no longer be in force.