| On Wednesday, parliament announced new public health measures in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent any other mutations from entering the country.
For those wanting to travel from the UK:
- Travelers without a valid reason for traveling will be denied and may be fined.
- The list of travel exemptions is under review so that only exceptional causes are permitted.
For those wanting to enter the UK:
- Travelers coming from any of the 30 countries that the UK has imposed an international travel ban will have to self-quarantine at a government-designated hotel for 10 days. Law enforcement will be checking that protocols are being followed.
These measures are in addition to guidance already in place:
- The UK refuses entry to non-UK residents from red list countries subject to a UK travel ban.
- All passengers must provide a negative COVID-19 test before departure and self-isolate on arrival.
The hotel quarantine requirement currently applies specifically to regions with the more contagious variant of the disease: Angola, Argentina, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Eswatini, French Guiana, Guyana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores), Seychelles, South Africa, Suriname, Tanzania, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Entry from these countries was already banned except for British and Irish Nationals or third-country nationals with residence rights in the UK. Citizens from these countries are already not permitted entry.
Home secretary Priti Patel said that the restrictions could expand to include other countries with high infection levels. Details, including when this order will go into effect, are still forthcoming. |
